Lazio inflicted another defeat on Serie A champions Inter with coach Rafael Benitez’s position becoming weaker and weaker with every passing week. The victory against Parma in the previous round was by a big score raising hope the Nerazzurri will be back on the right track yet many failed to note the Ducali are having a poor season and are in the bottom half of the table.
Injuries cannot continue to be used as an excuse as the form of certain key players like Wesley Sneijder has been quite disappointing this season. The extended World Cup campaign has had a negative effect on certain players, in particular Sneijder who is a shadow of the player who helped the Nerazzurri achieve a historic treble last season. Inter’s solid defensive line has struggled this season due to injuries but also due to the struggles of Lucio and Maicon. The biggest blow came when Walter Samuel was ruled out for the reason of the season due to his horrific injury. This certainly qualifies as a massive blow for the Nerazzurri yet this offered a window of opportunity for coach Benitez to either introduce Davide Santon as a starter on the flanks and moving Cristian Chivu to a central role in the back-line. One other option would be to have captain Javier Zanetti play as a full-back too while starting Ivan Cordoba in the back as a partner of Lucio.
Benitez has struggled to shape this team based on his strategy and has not been able to get the best out of the squad available at his disposal. Once again, it must be said that injuries have negatively affected the Nerazzurri but other factors have played a role as well. Benitez is not as good as former coach Jose Mourinho when it comes to motivating players, manipulating a situation to get the best out of his players and preparing his teams for certain matches. Inter have become too dependent on Samuel Eto’o and appear toothless whenever he is having an off night or suspended, as was the case for the Lazio clash.
Benitez’s approach does not inspire confidence and one can tell the players are not playing with the same swagger as last season under Mourinho. There are complaints about injuries, there is the excuse of bad luck, there is talk of opponents scoring from their limited opportunities and so forth. Rarely do champions resort to unconvincing or weak excuses to justify a tough spell in terms of results. The loss of Walter Samuel has been a major blow but that cannot excuse the poor form of their other starters. Other teams have in recent seasons endured a plethora of injuries but were able to cope with such emergencies and the Nerazzurri must do better considering they have been regarded as one of the deeper teams in Serie A.
Benitez now has the FIFA Club World Cup to redeem himself but if he cannot bring back the trophy to Italy then the Spaniard will likely be on his way out as the tifosi have not warmed up to his hiring. Fate has it that rivals Juventus were linked with Benitez during the summer yet he ended up with the Nerazzurri. Ironically at this stage, the Bianconeri appear to be building towards the future and improving while the Nerazzurri continue to struggle, have looked both slower and void of ideas when attacking opponents as well as the fact they are already seven points behind city rivals Milan.
The match against Werder Bremen in the Champions League will serve as a test for Benitez. While qualification to the Round of 16 has been secured, beating the worst team in the group will provide a massive boost to the team’s morale. Benitez is unlikely to rest players since first place in the group is on the line and this could make a big difference in terms of Inter’s next opponent in the elimination round. Only positive results will save Benitez’s job but it has become clear that failing to win the Club World Cup will usher a change in the coaching staff at Inter.
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Rafael Benitez running out of time at Inter

Rafael Benitez running out of time at Inter - World Soccer Talk

While this was a mere friendly and many of the starters from both teams were not on hand, the manner with which Inter overcame Manchester City serves as a warning for those aiming to dethrone the Serie A champions and Champions League winners.
The Nerazzurri were missing the likes of Diego Milito, Lucio and Wesley Sneijder but still managed to put a solid display with some silk passing and neat moves. In midfield, Esteban Cambiasso was as productive as ever with his passing and disrupting of opponents while captain Javier Zanetti was as usual reliable at the back and a useful player going forward.
Inter dominated the match and were in control of possession even before the sending off of Patrick Vieira who was in all fairness unlucky to see red. The former Juventus and Inter midfielder deserved a yellow card in the worst case scenario. The 3-0 final score can be considering a flattering one for Manchester City since the game could have easily finished with a bigger win for the Nerazzurri.
Inter will be a force to contend with in the Champions League and appear to be confident about their chances of repeating as European champions. As for Serie A, it will be hard to see any club, including Roma, Milan and Juventus, challenge the Nerazzurri for the title. Roma do not have a big squad and there is a major drop off in level between the starting XI and the bench players while Milan rely on too many of the senior players who are edging closer to retirement such as Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta and Massimo Ambrosini. The Rossoneri will only have one youngster featuring regularly in their starting lineup and that is Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato. As for Juventus, they are still in the process of recovering from a dismal season and it will be hard to see them challenge for the title unless all pieces of the puzzle fell in the right place for the Bianconeri.
Inter’s victory against the Citizens showed that the Nerazzurri have a big squad and a deep bench which can be relied upon when there are injuries and suspensions. In fact, the Nerazzurri will probably have to trim their squad in order to save on some of the big salaries paid to fringe players and reserve players. Having a big squad has another disadvantage which is growing discontent amongst those not getting enough playing time. Such players might begin to cause undesired distractions and might hurt harmony within the squad.
Two factors will shape the Nerazzurri starting XI as well as the quality on the bench and these are related to the future of Maicon and Mario Balotelli. If both players remain with the club then Inter’s bench will be even stronger, but if they leave then the bench will be a weakened a bit since Balotelli will be gone while a full-back will have to start in Maicon’s place on the right flank. Even if the duo will depart, Inter will remain top contenders to sweep the trophies in their path and repeat as treble winners. Only Barcelona and Real Madrid with their talented roster can dethrone Inter as European champions as the elite English Premier League sides are perhaps a step below the Italian giants and the two Spanish clubs.
Inter’s starting XI will likely be (provided Maicon &amp; Balotelli stay): Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, W. Samuel, Chivu, Cambiasso, J. Zanetti, Sneijder, Eto’o, D. Milito and Pandev.
It will be interesting to see if Davide Santon and Mario Balotelli can establish themselves as regulars under new coach Rafael Benitez. The upcoming season certainly looks promising for the Nerazzurri and their supporters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Feel free to comment below or simply contact me on Twitter&nbsp; @RamiSoufi for further discussion. I am including below two pieces written&nbsp;following the end of&nbsp;last season which&nbsp;pertain to Inter:
<a href="http://www.serieatalk.com/diego-milito-inters-hero-as-nerazzurri-complete-historic-treble/2432">www.serieatalk.com/diego-milito-inters-hero-as-nerazzurri-complete-historic-treble/2432</a>
<a href="http://www.championsleaguetalk.com/what-next-for-inter-after-winning-the-champions-league/748">www.championsleaguetalk.com/what-next-for-inter-after-winning-the-champions-league/748</a>
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Inter Dismantle Manchester City 3-0 in Baltimore

Inter Dismantle Manchester City 3-0 in Baltimore - World Soccer Talk

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Rafael Benitez running out of time at Inter

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Inter Dismantle Manchester City 3-0 in Baltimore