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IMMACULATE INTER

By Shreyas Rai

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Inter Milan entered the Italian battlefield knowing that they could turn the table this time out. Last season Italy witnessed a title race like no other as Juventus inched out Inter by just one point to lift the Serie-A trophy. But Antonio Conte’s troops were looking to bring silverware back to the Blue parts of Milan. In the end, they were able to do that and in some style.

 

SUMMARY

Conte’s army went from nearly winning the Serie-A to being crowned the Champions of Italy. The journey of the Italian giants was full of domination, sweat, dedication, and hard work as they rarely took their foot off the gas.

 

 

Inter began the Serie-A campaign with a goalscoring feast. Scoring an unimaginable 21 goals in their first 4 matches, Inter’s season kicked off perfectly. Every city they travelled to they came out victorious, defeating neighbours AC Milan and reigning champions Juventus on their way to their Italian crown.

 

https://twitter.com/RomeluLukaku9/status/1390615687811510276

 

Although on the other hand, Conte didn’t completely mirror Mourinho’s season at the club. Inter managed to win just one trophy out of the available three, a thing they would want to work on next campaign. They couldn’t clear the group stage hurdle in Europe’s biggest carnival of football, the Champions League where they finished bottom of the group. In the Coppa Italia, eventual winners, Juventus knocked Inter out of the domestic competition in the semi-finals itself.

Although in the Serie A, despite a string of poor results elsewhere, Inter never slipped up. The chasing pack never got a sniff at the trophy as Inter were too good in the second half of the league in Italy. The results spoke volumes of their calibre and how they were dominating the Serie-A.

 

 

The 19th title was delivered in the blue half of Milan when Atalanta dropped points and mathematically it wasn’t possible to catch the Men in Blue. The footballing world will surely reminisce about this Scudetto win by Inter Milan.

SERIE-A – 1st
COPPA ITALIA- SEMI-FINALS
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – Knocked out in the Group Stage

 

BEST MOMENT OF THE SEASON

INTER MILAN 3-0 AC MILAN (SERIE-A)

The fight for the Italian throne wasn’t easy for Inter because two Kings battled it out in the Derby D’Italia. The crown was up for grabs; one would be called the ‘Conqueror’ while the other one would be deemed as the ‘Prince’. Only one point separated the two sides going into the fixture, giving it top billing for Serie A fans all over the world.

A mouth-watering fixture was on the cards and the game didn’t disappoint. 3 points for the Nerazzurri and the Italian crown was inevitably theirs whereas Milan’s win would ensure the title party is delayed.

But Antonio Conte’s men were up for the enormous challenges they were about to face. The Belgian Devil got the better of his Swedish rival as Inter thrashed their neighbours 3-0 marching towards a perfect victory.

 

 

A brace for Argentinian striker Lautaro Martinez meant that Milan was brushed aside by Antonio Conte’s troops.

And the title looked almost inevitable after the result as La Beneamata were relentless against every opposition conquering every Italian city.The win kickstarted a run of nine consecutive wins and 14 unbeaten matches. By the time that run ended, Inter were champions of Italy.

When 2nd placed Atalanta dropped points in May, the impossible happened as Inter Milan were crowned champions of Serie A after almost a decade.

 

WORST MOMENT OF THE SEASON

INTER MILAN 0-0 SHAKHTAR DONETSK (UCL)

Well, a campaign full of historic moments had some faltering minutes as well. Inter’s goalless draw against Ukranian club Shakhtar Donetsk meant that Conte’s men failed to get past the group stage in the Champions League. With Inter seeded with Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Shakhtar Donetsk it looked inevitable that the Italians would make it to the knockouts.

 

 

Unfortunately for the past two years, they have failed to replicate their domestic form in Europe. And once again Conte’s squad couldn’t perform well in the Champions League. Favourites Inter needed just a win on the final day if they wanted to qualify to the knockouts and the match against weaker opposition Shakhtar seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Although Inter attempted almost 20 shots only 4 of them were on target and a stalemate followed at San Siro. The team had no one else to blame other than themselves. Poor decision making, irrational shots, and unimpressive passing cost the Italians a ticket to the Champions League knockouts.

A Serie-A title is a wonderful trophy but if it could be matched with a UCL run, Inter would become one of the strongest squads in Europe and not only in their domestic competitions.

 

THE SEASON MVP

ROMELU LUKAKU

Without a doubt, the best player for Conte in this campaign was Belgium stalwart, Romelu Lukaku. The Belgium Devil had a difficult time at the Theatre of Dreams but he truly was the protagonist of Inter’s dreams. A season full of happiness and glory, Lukaku had some iconic moments during this campaign.

 

 

Be it the utterly beautiful goal against neighbours AC Milan to round-off a perfect Inter performance or the face-off with Sweden’s self-acclaimed King, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But apart from his rivalries and moments off the pitch, the Belgium was instrumental in his team lifting the Scudetto after a decade. 24 mouth-watering goals and 10 majestic assists helped the striker win the title of Serie A Player of the Season.

 

 

Scoring thunderous goals, Lukau lifted his team whenever they faced any sort of challenge. The Belgian truly ruled Italy with his presence on the pitch, movement of the ball, and the commitment he showed when defending. When the world will turn back to read Inter’s historical title-winning season they’ll find Lukaku’s name written with bold letters on that page.

 

BIGGEST UNDERACHIEVER

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

Well, not all ex-Premier League players have had a revamp after coming to Italy. Former Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen had another miserable season as he was the only grey cloud in Inter’s majestic season. With just 3 goals in his 26 appearances, he was dropped from the main squad many times throughout the season and featured largely off the bench.

 

 

Eriksen’s glory days are gone and he wasn’t capable of dictating the game in England and that’s why he came to Italy. Unfortunately, the Danish once again turned out to be a disappointment for Inter’s fans. Losing possession in the midfield, rarely making a successful tackle, and errors leading to goals, Eriksen had a shambolic outing throughout the season.
The Danish was constantly linked with a move out of Italy because of a shambolic season but Antonio Conte always had his back. But with Conte’s departure, Eriksen will have to work twice as hard if he wants to regain his place in the starting eleven because nothing seems to work out for the Inter midfielder.

An 11-year-old curse came to an end after Inter finally conquered the Serie-A. Although they didn’t win the UCL or the Coppa Italia, dethroning Juventus and winning the Italian title were momentous occasions. Romelu Lukaku was outstanding throughout the campaign and the Belgian guided him to the perfect title victory. With silverware under their belt, a golden chapter has surely been written in Inter’s rich history.

 

FINAL GRADE – A-

Shreyas Rai

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