“Pazza Inter” Returns As Inter Milan Defense Drops Off Massively In Serie A | OneFootball

“Pazza Inter” are back in Serie A for the moment, with Inter Milan’s defense having dropped off significantly.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews.

Inter have always had a reputation for doing things the hard way.

The “Pazza” nickname that the Nerazzurri have long had is a reflection of the team’s historic habit of shooting themselves in the foot.

In recent years, however, that reputation has diminished somewhat.

The arrival of Antonio Conte as Inter coach in 2019 played a big part in this shift.

Conte is a ruthless character who was insistent on moving Inter away from the atmosphere of chaos and drama that had marked its “Pazza” character.

And the former Juventus and Chelsea coach was successful in doing so.

Inter won the Serie A title during the 2020-21 season. This was the result of determination and a serious attitude.

It has not all been more of the same under Simone Inzaghi. But more often than not, the 48-year-old has built on Conte’s work.

“Pazza Inter” Returning In Serie A With Defensive Dropoff

At the start of this season, though, Inter have started to look more like the “Pazza” team of old, however.

The defensive record has had a lot to do with that.

The last three matches that Inter have played in the league are an illustration of why.

First, there was the derby against AC Milan. The Nerazzurri had gone into that match as favourites, considering their and their city rivals’ respective form.

But Milan prevailed. The Rossoneri won a derby for the first time after losing six in a row.

And it was a well-deserved victory. Inter had been defensively shambolic, conceding twice to lose 2-1.

The two following matches were happier ones for Inter.

The Nerazzurri beat both Udinese and Torino to bounce back from the derby setback.

However, these were certainly more dramatic matches than Inter would have wanted to be.

The Nerazzurri took an early lead against both the Friulani and the Granata. But they struggled to hold on to it, winning both matches 3-2 in the end.