Capello: Inter’s lack of rhythm and defensive woes hand Napoli Scudetto advantage | OneFootball

Fabio Capello believes Inter’s ‘lack of rhythm’ is emerging as their main problem at this stage of the season, and it was further highlighted by their heavy 3-0 defeat in their makeup match against Fiorentina, during which Simone Inzaghi’s men were ‘slow’ and ‘predictable’.

The former Juventus and Milan coach was surprised to see the Nerazzurri slip up so blatantly on such an important occasion, which ended up handing Napoli a three-point advantage at the top of Serie A and putting the outcome of the Scudetto race into their hands.

LECCE, ITALY – JANUARY 26: Head coach of FC Internazionale Simone Inzaghi looks on prior the Serie A match between Lecce and FC Internazionale at Stadio Via del Mare on January 26, 2025 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

Capello: Inter ‘slow’ and ‘predictable’ in Fiorentina collapse, Calhanoglu struggled

While Inter were ‘unusually weak’ defensively, Capello insists in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport that Raffaele Palladino’s side used their weapons wisely, ‘sitting deep’ but also pressing the visitors’ ball carriers ‘aggressively’. Despite being able to rely on a restricted number of outfield players, they “played a great game, well-organized defensively and effective every time they went forward,” the 78-year-old.

Focusing on the Nerazzurri’s demerits, Capello pointed at their inability to ‘break down Fiorentina’s defence’ and struggles in the build-up, but he didn’t shy away from commenting on individual performances, too.

FLORENCE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 6: Luca Ranieri of ACF Fiorentina scores a goal during the Serie A match between Fiorentina and FC Internazionale at Stadio Artemio Franchi on February 6, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

“I expected them to move the ball more, and more changes of play to shift the opposition,” the ex-manager observed. “But instead, Calhanoglu—the player with the technical qualities to bring speed to the transition—struggled a lot.”

The Nerazzurri lost a game in Serie A by a three-goal margin for the first time since 2019, and Capello believes their goalkeeper also contributed to such an outcome.

“Fiorentina attacked with speed and aggression, continuously troubling Inzaghi’s defense, which struggled to confront opponents in one-on-one situations,” he wrote. “And when Sommer—who had been crucial in the first half against Kean—makes a mistake like on Fiorentina’s second goal, it’s hard to come away with anything.”