Italian Media Highlight How Putting Darmian, Acerbi & Onana Into The Lineup Has Allowed Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan To Dominate Big Matches | OneFootball

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi has made a few lineup changes which have proved to be the perfect formula for finding the right balance in big matches as the season has went on.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, who argue that the introduction of wingback Matteo Darmian, defender Francesco Acerbi, and goalkeeper Andre Onana into the starting eleven have been key to the Nerazzurri turning head-to-head clashes into a strength from a weakness.

Over the first part of season, Inter struggled in matches against direct rivals – losses to Lazio, AC Milan, Roma, and Juventus in Serie A suggested that Inzaghi had not yet figured out how to get his team to approach these types of matches.

However, victories over Atalanta, Napoli, and Milan have suggested that this is now a very different Inter.

As Tuttosport notes, it is a different Nerazzurri team, personnel-wise.

One of the big changes has been that Andre Onana is now the starting goalkeeper ahead of Samir Handanovic, whilst Francesco Acerbi has displaced Stefan de Vrij at the heart of the defense.

Both of these players have their own style, and they have proved key in both getting the right balance and chemistry in possession, and marshalling opposition strikers.

Most of important of all, however, could be the reemergence of Matteo Darmian into the starting eleven.

The 33-year-old former Manchester United and Torino wingback has been starting big matches ahead of Denzel Dumfries, and the greater defensive solidity that he provides has proved to be a kind of missing ingredient for the Nerazzurri.

The team look to play with more confidence overall knowing the security that Darmian provides, whilst in attack, little is sacrificed as he has proved to be quite proficient going forward in recent matches as goals against Monza and Atalanta have attested.