Five reasons why 2025 may be bigger than 2024 for Inter | OneFootball

Simone Inzaghi may be enthusiastic, but he is also a realist, and that is why his comments after Inter won again against Cagliari were exciting.

He prophesied that 2025 could be even bigger than 2024, which is some claim, as last year, Inter won their second star. Moving into the New Year, Inter have five major reasons to feel it could be a record-breaking season. The race for the Scudetto is one, the Champions League/treble chances are another, the strength of the squad, their current form and the coach himself and his evolution make things irresistible at present.

As the year ended, Inter sat in third place on 40 points, one behind Atalanta and Napoli. The bonus is that Inzaghis’s men have a game in hand and look in great shape, losing only twice this season so far. Atalanta and Napoli both have been superb, but the defending champions have the strength in depth and the experience to see this through.  Inter will go more games behind as they play Atalanta next in the Supercoppa Italiana semifinal and will have to make up three games on January 12 (Venezia), 15 (Bologna), and 19 (Empoli). These are all winnable games, and Inter have the squad to adapt, as shown in recent months.

CAGLIARI, ITALY – DECEMBER 28: Alessandro Bastoni of Inter celebrates his goal 0-1 during the Serie A match between Cagliari and FC Internazionale at Sardegna Arena on December 28, 2024 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

That leads to the current form. Inzaghi waxed lyrical about his team as, after losing to Milan in a tepid performance, they have been on a phenomenal run and have not lost in the league. Since the defeat, they have beaten the likes of Roma, drew with Juventus and Napoli, decimated Lazio 6-0, and improved every game performance. They have also beaten Arsenal and RB Leipzig in the Champions League and look set to continue this in the new year.

The new Champions League format also seems to suit Inter as they sit sixth on 13 points. They are playing their cards well in this competition, and the fact that Arsenal in third place are, only on 13 points, and Liverpool top the table with 18 points, shows that the Nerazzurri are well equipped to go deep into this competition.

They have Leverkusen in fourth after a 1-0 loss in Germany, but other than this slip, as ex-Inter legend Marco Materazzi said to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Nerazzurri are “mature enough to win the Champions League.”

This leads to the squad’s strength as ‘Matrix’ pointed out that, with Lautaro Martinez, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni, they have four players who can push them to the treble. It is true that he excluded Yann Sommer, Federico Dimarco, and Marcus Thuram here, but we should not forget the squad players who have come in and done so well.

CAGLIARI, ITALY – DECEMBER 28: Inter’s coach Simone Inzaghi reacts during the Serie A match between Cagliari and FC Internazionale at Sardegna Arena on December 28, 2024 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

Let us not forget that Lautaro has not been in his usual goal-scoring form, but he has been doing so much to help the team that often goes unrecognised. Also, the rest of the team is stepping up in the goals department, and if we look at Lazio’s hammering as an example, you can see the likes of Barella, Hakan and Dimarco are all becoming regulars that will only complement Lautaro when he gets back in form. Hopefully, for Inter fans, the goal against Cagliari signals that.

It seems at times (just look at Carlos Augusto for one example) that when any player enters the field in black and blue colours, he hits the ground running. This is down to Inzaghi and his strength of character. Inter looked sluggish in the early season games, and few goals were scored in some games. However, this was the squad getting used to rotation, and now it is paying dividends. Inzaghi has all his players ready to come on, and most are in form and itching for the chance to play.

The Supercoppa does feel like it will be crucial for Inter in some respects, but Inzaghi seems highly focused on this. Inter have won this for the last three years straight, and the coach made it clear just what effect this has on the season. A win, when games are backed up in a competition far away and against good sides, propels the team into the New Year with gusto. Maybe if Inter do lift that trophy, that quadruple may look more possible than anyone thought back in August.

@RichHall80