Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni was left stunned by AC Milan's derby victory despite them failing to create sufficient chances throughout the game. While the 26-year-old believes his team registered a good display against Massimiliano Allegri's side, he sounded critical of the opposition securing just one clear chance through Christian Pulisic, which decided the fate of the fixture.
Inter dominate but go down
From ball possession to the number of shots recorded by the two parties, Inter led in every aspect in the famous Milan derby last Sunday. While Cristian Chivu's side earned nine corners and successfully implemented five shots on target, compared to one corner and three shots from Milan's end, they left the pitch empty-handed as Pulisic bagged the solitary goal of the game in the 54th minute. Bastoni, who has been the defensive leader alongside Francesco Acerbi, was left gutted with the outcome.
AdvertisementAFPBastoni slams Milan but praises his team
Despite the result, Bastoni was critical of their arch-rivals and claimed he couldn't remember them registering any goal-scoring opportunities apart from the goal. He said on "It's difficult to make a lucid analysis of this match, I don't remember any clear chances for them apart from the goal. Sorry, we will have to make a lucid analysis even if sometimes finding answers to defeats like this hurts. Sometimes you prefer to lose badly to have room for improvement, this time for me beyond the episodes we played a good game. I don't know, in Naples there were important carelessness, with Juve and Milan there is little to say. I should also see it again because on the pitch the sensations are sometimes different. But it seems to me that at least we were equal. Other times we had the feeling of being vulnerable, this time we were there. We had courage, holding one-on-one with [Rafael] Leao and Pulisic. There was no feeling of being able to concede goals."
Notably, this was Inter's fourth defeat of the Serie A campaign, which has now compelled them to sit on the fourth place on the table. A win, on the contrary, could have seen them take the pole position for the meantime. Bastoni commented: "It's a wake-up call because four defeats is a lot, but I also think that defeats need to be analysed. I would be much more worried seeing Inter out of the game with their heads or without character. I don't see that. As long as there is this mentality and this spirit, I'm sure things will go well."
Inter boss highlights mistakes
While Bastoni spoke of having a thorough analysis, coach Christian Chivu admitted his disappointment in the result, saying: "The frustration is not just what we created, it’s the performance, the focus, as we hardly allowed any counter-attacks, despite knowing the two strikers could cause us problems. The one time we lost the second ball in midfield, they scored. This is football. I take home the good performance, as the lads kept going to the end, despite the disappointment of conceding the goal, and the frustration after hitting the woodwork twice. They tried to score in every possible way, and that is the spirit I want to see.
"When you suffer the fourth defeat in 12 rounds, that is too many. However, the table is still pretty tight, so we are up there and need to deal with this frustration, because losing a game like this can leave a mark." He further stated, "We are all in this and all responsible, for good and bad. We all could’ve done better, we could’ve scored earlier, or dealt with the moments of the match better. Our duty now is to get back on our feet, as on Tuesday we have an equally important match."
Getty Images SportInter have a tough week ahead
Inter just have two days to prepare for the Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid, whom they face this Tuesday. Following a cooling period, they'll face Pisa in the Serie A on Sunday. However, the game against the Spanish giants is going to be the more crucial one of the two. They are seated third in the Champions League table, with four wins and share the same points as Bayern Munich and Arsenal.
