Inter 2021-22: New-look Nerazzurri attempt to recreate Conte’s title success

Instead,
they
have
lost
coach
Antonio
Conte,
top
scorer
Romelu
Lukaku
and
standout
wing-back
Achraf
Hakimi.
Talk
of
a
Tottenham
move
for
Lautaro
Martinez
–
seemingly
linked
to
Harry
Kane’s
future
–
has
not
been
ruled
out
entirely.

It
leaves
the
reigning
Serie
A
champions
picking
up
the
pieces,
with
the
club’s
dire
financial
situation
dampening
hopes
of
a
successful
title
defence.

SERIE
A
FIXTURES

Although
there
have
also
been
new
arrivals,
Simone
Inzaghi
and
a
35-year-old
Edin
Dzeko
clearly
are
not
in
the
same
class
as
Conte
and
Lukaku.

Inter
will
be
slightly
different
this
season
and
it
is
highly
likely
they
will
be
slightly
worse
for
it.

Downgrade
to
Dzeko

In
Lukaku,
Inter
have
sold
a
player
in
his
prime
coming
off
his
best
campaign
to
date.
In
Dzeko,
the
Nerazzurri
have
brought
in
a
veteran
whose
Serie
A
career
just
plunged
to
new
depths.

Lukaku
netted
24
times
en
route
to
Inter’s
Scudetto,
while
Dzeko’s
final
year
with
Roma
brought
only
seven
league
goals.

The
Bosnia-Herzegovina
international
did
play
a
mere
1,825
minutes,
but
it
was
his
poor
form
while
on
the
pitch
that
saw
him
limited
to
20
starts
despite
featuring
in
31
matchday
squads.

Dzeko’s
shot
conversion
rate
of
10
per
cent
was
higher
than
in
two
of
his
seasons
in
the
capital
and
only
margainally
lower
than
2017-18’s
10.5
per
cent
when
he
scored
16
times.
The
decreasing
frequency
of
his
attempts
was
an
issue,
managing
just
3.5
shots
per
90
minutes,
a
trough
to
contrast
to
the
2016-17
peak
of
5.3.

Inter’s
new
forward
fell
some
way
short
of
his
expected
goals
(xG)
total
of
13.3
–
a
failing
only
partially
explained
by
the
expertise
of
opposition
goalkeepers,
who
prevented
3.6
Dzeko
goals
according
to
expected
goals
on
target
(xGOT)
data,
which
analyses
the
quality
of
the
shot
rather
than
the
quality
of
the
chance.

Lukaku,
on
the
other
hand,
outstripped
his
xG
figure
of
23.8,
even
if
his
attempts
were
only
worth
22.9
xGOT.

It
is
not
only
as
a
scorer
that
Dzeko
slips
below
Lukaku’s
standards
either.
Chelsea’s
latest
record
buy
was
a
creative
force
last
term,
providing
11
assists.
Dzeko
had
three.

Indeed,
Lukaku
crafted
a
team-high
52
chances
–
or
9.4
per
cent
of
Inter’s
552
shots
across
the
campaign
–
while
Dzeko
laid
on
29
(5.3
per
cent
of
Roma’s
attempts).
Dzeko
was
more
involved
in
build-up
play
than
Lukaku,
averaging
49.7
open
play
sequences
per
90
to
his
predecessor’s
44.4,
but
he
could
not
match
Lukaku
in
terms
of
passing
accuracy
(68.8
per
cent),
passing
accuracy
in
the
opposition
half
(64.8)
or
passing
accuracy
in
the
final
third
(58.5).

Unsurprisingly,
the
former
Giallorossi
favourite
also
cannot
play
at
the
same
pace
as
Lukaku.
Dzeko
was
involved
in
only
six
fast
breaks
to
Lukaku’s
league-leading
17,
although
he
did
score
twice
from
such
situations.
Roma
were
second
in
the
league
in
this
regard
–
behind
Inter.

But
even
if
the
Nerazzurri
do
slow
slightly
with
Dzeko
in
the
side,
his
work
in
moving
the
ball
up
the
field
is
still
comparable
to
Lukaku’s.
He
had
more
carries
(7.9)
and
progressive
carries
(4.5)
than
Lukaku
last
term,
while
operating
in
the
same
ballpark
for
carry
distance
(92.6
metres),
attempted
dribbles
(2.9)
and
completed
dribbles
(1.3)
–
all
numbers
per
90.

The
percentage
of
his
touches
Dzeko
took
in
the
opposition
box
(17.3)
tallied
closely
(18.3
per
cent
for
Lukaku),
too,
with
the
previously
prolific
attacker’s
game
peculiarly
now
suited
to
work
away
from
goal.

An
aerial
force

As
part
of
his
link-up
play,
Dzeko
offers
a
clear
focal
point.
His
60.4
per
cent
success
rate
in
aerial
duels
ranked
fourth
among
Serie
A
forwards
with
100
or
more
such
tussles.
Lukaku
won
only
42.9
per
cent
in
a
category
led
by
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic
(65.7
per
cent).
Dzeko’s
52
flick-ons
also
put
him
fourth.

But
Dzeko’s
heading
ability
does
also
give
Inter
a
greater
threat
inside
the
penalty
area.
The
striker
was
joint-third
for
headed
attempts
(20,
excluding
blocks),
with
his
1.0
per
90
double
Lukaku’s
0.5.
As
with
his
feet,
Dzeko
was
wasteful
in
this
regard,
scoring
only
one
header
while
new
Inter
colleague
Martinez
nodded
in
four
goals,
but
a
greater
sample
size
shows
the
danger
he
can
pose.
Since
his
2015
Serie
A
debut,
Dzeko
leads
the
way
for
headed
attempts
(203,
excluding
blocks)
and
his
16
goals
–
making
up
18.8
per
cent
of
his
total
of
85
–
are
tied
for
third.

Dzeko
therefore
looks
a
good
fit
in
an
Inter
side
who
last
season
topped
the
charts
in
succeeding
with
24.6
per
cent
of
their
open
play
crosses,
leading
to
a
joint-high
92
headed
shots
and
14
headed
goals.

Whether
that
crossing
quality
is
still
at
the
club
is
another
matter.

Inter’s
wings
clipped

Only
nine
defenders
in
Serie
A
last
term
attempted
100
crosses,
but
Hakimi,
marauding
up
the
right,
was
one
of
them.
Within
that
select
group,
his
crossing
accuracy
of
23.9
per
cent
ranked
third
–
just
ahead
of
Leonardo
Spinazzola,
another
exciting
wing-back
and
Dzeko’s
former
Roma
team-mate
(23.5
per
cent).

Hakimi’s
departure
for
Paris
Saint-Germain
robs
Inter
of
that
quality
and
the
36
chances
he
created.
There
is
pressure
on
Denzel
Dumfries,
a
€12.5million
recruit,
to
fill
that
void.
He
created
41
chances
in
the
Eredivisie
last
season,
yet
only
five
of
his
50
crosses
were
successful.

That
ability
to
deliver
from
wide
positions
is
merely
one
of
Hakimi’s
array
of
attributes,
too,
with
the
€60m
man
carrying
the
ball
22.7
metres
further
per
90
than
Dumfries
while
also
contributing
a
goal
or
assist
every
178.1
minutes,
compared
to
the
Netherlands
international’s
308.5
minutes.

Inter
should
at
least
have
increased
creativity
from
midfield,
where
free
signing
Hakan
Calhanoglu
offers
an
upgrade
on
the
recuperating
Christian
Eriksen.
Calhanoglu,
playing
for
rivals
Milan,
had
league
highs
in
chances
created
(98)
and
chances
created
from
set-pieces
(50)
in
2020-21.
Milan
led
Serie
A
in
goals
from
set-pieces
(16,
excluding
penalties),
but
Inter
ranked
joint-fourth
(16)
and
will
surely
now
improve.

Trying
to
run
it
back

If
mixed
results
are
anticipated
from
direct
replacements
for
Lukaku,
Hakimi
and
Eriksen,
those
moves
at
least
indicate
some
unlikely
joined-up
thinking
in
spite
of
the
chaotic
nature
of
this
off-season.
Inzaghi’s
appointment
also
suggests
Inter
plan
to
change
little
from
last
season,
even
with
the
numerous
notable
departures.

Like
Conte
and
Inter,
Inzaghi’s
Lazio
consistently
lined
up
with
a
3-5-2
formation
in
2020-21,
with
their
approaches
also
not
dissimilar.

Lazio’s
press
was
a
little
more
aggressive,
allowing
11.6
passes
per
defensive
action
to
Inter’s
12.8
and
also
engaging
in
more
pressed
sequences
(543)
despite
having
slightly
more
possession
(52.9
per
cent)
than
Inter
(52.0
per
cent).
Lazio
also
scored
eight
goals
from
high
turnovers.

However,
between
the
replacement
of
a
speedy
Lukaku
with
a
slower
Dzeko
and
Inter’s
pre-existing
preference
for
build-up
attacks
(119)
over
direct
attacks
(80),
Inzaghi’s
playing
style
might
have
to
be
a
little
more
patient
this
term,
even
if
the
new
number
nine’s
physical
presence
will
give
them
an
outlet.

These
are
minor
tweaks,
though,
that
should
mean
Inzaghi
can
adapt
to
Inter
or
Inter
to
Inzaghi.

Defending
champions
have
rarely
had
it
so
tough
when
preparing
for
a
new
campaign,
but
Inter
have
done
all
they
can
to
ensure
a
new-look
side
can
continue
to
find
success.