Week 5: Inter – Milan An Early Season Crisis

Milan comfortably beat Venezia at the San Siro. The 4-0 score was as needed as it could get with Milan. The team facing a historic poor start to the 2024-2025 Serie A season provided a bit of hope that the early questions can be answered. Eyes were and shifted more to the midweek Champions League start versus Liverpool and this derby to see if the team can use the Venezia result as a springboard. The first test was a failure, Milan were outworked, outdone and outclassed by the post-Klopp era Liverpool. The 3-1 home loss piled on the pressure and all the talk on a Fonseca replacement, players and systems resumed. Ibra’s role has been questioned like never before in his career and he is probably under the kind of pressure he has never known. As a so called advisor who claims he runs many aspects of the team he had a big say in Fonseca’s hiring and may now be faced with the task of finding another coach. Many typical names have been thrown around, many are the same that were rumoured in the summer and are now still available.

The 4-2-3-1 has been a liability with the players seemingly confused at times, calls for 4-3-3 providing a more solid midfield have grown from the commentators and fans. Leading up to this game Fonseca has apparently tested a so called 4-4-2 with both Morata and Abraham up front but surely this would be evolve to a 4-3-3 as Leao can’t be considered a left midfield player. If this line up does start it will likely feature all of Pulisic, Fofana and Reijnders in midfield. The so far off form Loftus-Cheek might start in place of Reijnders. Calabria is not 100% so Emerson Royal will get another shot to impress. The Brazilian’s early form has confirmed the many questions asked about his transfer. Theo will be the left back and two of Pavlovic, Gabbia and Tomori will play in the center of the defence.

Inter have not had the most dominant of starts but the team has not lost in their first four games. On the pitch the team is far more stable than Milan. Off the pitch ownership changes and San Siro’s future clouds Inter’s future as much as Milan’s.

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