Inter Milan can use the UCL tactics that helped them to get out of the group of death. The Nerazzurri have struggled in Serie A this season, but they were a completely different team in the group stages of the Champions League. Simone Inzaghi’s men were more reliant on counters and had a compact, low defensive line. This helped them to defend against teams like Barcelona that were focusing on keeping the ball and applying pressure from the front. Simone Inzaghi’s pragmatic approach helped him to reach the Round of 16.
The former Lazio manager will be looking to apply similar tactics against Napoli, and treat it as a knockout game. A win over Napoli can bring Inter back into the title race. However, they will have to be solid defensively, as they have struggled to stop transitions in Serie A. Napoli is one of the best teams to hit on counters as Khvicha and Osihmen are quick to exploit the space behind the defense.
Inter can use the UCL tactics to restrict Napoli at the San Siro
A low defensive line will limit Napoli’s options in attack. Osihmen offers multiple runs behind the defense, but now he will have to drop to participate in the attack. Also, Napoli will have to work more with the ball and commit numbers forward. The Nerazzurri can then focus on hitting fast on the break with Dumfries and Dimarco from wide regions. Dzeko and Lukaku are likely to start, and both are excellent in the air. So, they can benefit from the crosses of Dimarco and Dumfries.
Calhanoglu will start in the number 6 role, and he can ping accurate balls forward. The Turkish midfielder has an excellent range of passing, so it will help Inter to move the ball forward quickly, and exploit spaces in the wide areas.
