Tottenham Hotspur kick their European adventure this season away to Inter Milan.
Inter, under former Roma boss Luciano Spalletti, are back in the Champions League for the first
time since the 2011/12 season.
Inter won the Champions League in 2009/10 under Jose Mourinho, but have not progressed
further than the quarter finals since then.
They have invested heavily in the summer, though, and hung on to Mauro Icardi and Ivan
Perisic –the Italian heavy weights will be a stern test for any side.
Inter have played with both three and four at the back this season, but aspects of their
play remain the same, irrespective of shape.
Spalletti favours a possession-based style of football, especially when building from
the back, where possession is rotated between the centre-backs, dropping midfielders, and
full backs or wing backs, depending on the system.
The aim is to move the ball higher up the pitch with a series of lateral or angled balls,
while retaining control.
As this is happening, the wide players will either look to get into advanced positions
in space, or drop quickly into the half spaces to provide an open, vertical pass – the
central attacking midfielder also does this in the 4-2-3-1 – and this change of pace
then allows Inter to get the ball back to the wide players or the central striker who
is now attacking a more disjointed defence.
These runs will need to be watched carefully, or Spurs could have issues being dragged out
of position or caught out giving Inter players too much space.
Inter want to work the ball forwards slowly at first, then suddenly accelerate, attacking
with width and servicing Icardi, or the opposite wide player, rushing into the box at pace.
Inter also press aggressively in the opponent’s half, with the double pivot of midfielders
assisting, and the wide or tucked in attacking midfielders assisting.
Inter are good at winning back the ball in dangerous areas and quickly attacking on the
counter, with Icardi’s pace and Perisic’s positional ability key.
However, there are some clear areas that Spurs and their manager Mauricio Pochettino can
exploit.
Because Inter press high, and commit heavily with at least one of the midfield pivot, teams
who can by-pass this press can profit.
In Moussa Dembele, Spurs have a player who can carry the ball through a press and, should
that not work, Spurs should look to pass longer.
This is because Inter often leave a substantial space between the players who are pressing
and the remaining defenders.
If one or both of the midfield pivot commit to the press, then spaces open up in the centre
of the pitch; if they stay back, there will be spaces out wide, either behind the advancing
full backs or wing backs, or closer, behind the attacking wide players.
Inter press well, but their team does not push up cohesively – if Spurs can break
this, they will find room to attack.
Inter’s press is one part of their defensive approach; the other is falling back rapidly
to make a low block of five plus two or four plus two, depending on the formation, to achieve
compactness once the opposition have successfully by-passed the press.
This does make Inter hard to play through in a low block, but it affords the opposition
a different opportunity.
Inter have a tendency to move very deep on their low block, and the midfield falls back
very low too: this leaves a lot of space in front of the box.
Spurs have the players and the style to maximise this gap, a gap that is increased by Inter’s
desire to leave several players up for a quick counter-attack should they regain possession.
Spurs, in Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Lucas Moura, and Harry Kane, have a mobile set of
attacking players who work best when they can create quick interplays that break the
lines with incisive attacking moves.
Failing that, Eriksen and Lucas Moura can pose an issue with their shooting from deep;
Lucas Moura especially should relish the space available ahead of the full backs as he cuts
inside towards goal.
Inter’s natural defensive instincts can work against them here, then, and Spurs have
players well suited to exploiting the gaps Spalletti’s team leave.
If they can also keep Icardi and Perisic quiet, and play their natural style, Spurs can do
well against Inter Milan and get their Champions League campaign off to a good start.