Italian coach Simone Inzaghi this Tuesday asked for a determined Inter Milan to beat FC Porto in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League, in a match scheduled for Wednesday.
“It’s 180 minutes and this is the first round, in which we played for our supporters. We have to run, aggression and determination, knowing that the opponent is valuable and has done a good job against Italian teams,” began the coach of the nerazzurriin a press conference to preview the game.
Simone Inzaghi said he wants to reverse that trend by facing a rival where he will meet Sérgio Conceição, coach of the dragons and his former teammate, when both played for Lazio in 1999/00.
“I am very happy to see Sérgio. He was an excellent companion. We shared important victories and now he is doing great as a coach. He is doing great things, both physically and as a coach,” he added.
Inzaghi recalled that the dragons have 10 straight victories and, despite some players doubting them, they are a team with “quality” and “very organized” footballers for physical reasons.
“FC Porto is coming off 10 wins in a row, but they will find an Inter that is healthy and wants to play the best they can,” said the coach of the number two in Serie A.
Regarding what to expect from the dragons, Inzaghi explained that FC Porto can be both wait and see and take the initiative, with the ability to take on different phases in the game, but that Inter needs both heart and head .
“In certain matches, the head makes the difference. But at this level there are always difficulties and we have to face them as a team. FC Porto is a team that works together a lot and that requires a lot of work from everyone.” , he warned.
Also present at the press conference was Italian defender Francesco Acerbi, who expects a high-quality opponent who is used to this stage, although he stressed that the Italians want to take advantage of the home factor.
“This match is mentally prepared, it is the round of 16 of the Champions League in San Siro, in front of 80,000 supporters. We want to get a good result for our supporters, but it will be balanced and the details will make the difference,” he said.
The first leg of the Champions League round of 16 between Inter Milan and FC Porto will be played on Wednesday at Milan’s San Siro stadium, from 8 p.m. (in Lisbon), and will be led by Serb Srdjan Jovanovic.
The second leg of the match is scheduled for March 14 at Estádio do Dragão, in Porto.
Source: DN
