What Makes Inter’s Midfield One of the Most Balanced in Europe Right Now

For the third time in six seasons, Inter were crowned Serie A champions. A 2-0 win over Parma, coupled with a 0-0 draw for title rivals Napoli against Como and a 0-2 defeat for city rivals Milan away at Sassuolo, meant that the blue side of Milan sealed their 21st Serie A triumph with three matches to spare.

Despite being surprisingly knocked out of the Champions League in the Play-Off round by Bodø/Glimt of Norway, Inter can live up to their tag as favourites on football betting markets and claim a domestic double if they overcome Lazio in the Coppa Italia final on 13th May.

Throughout the season, Inter have been powered by goals from attacking duo Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, who have 38 goals between them.

However, a large part of the success in this and recent seasons can be put down to a midfield that mixes industry with creativity to knit the defence and attack together and create chances for Martinez and Thuram. As with any top team in European football, the midfield tends to be the engine room. But what is it about Inter’s midfield maestros that creates the perfect balance for the team and the platform for sustained success?

The core of Inter’s midfield over the years has been built around experienced heads that have enjoyed plenty of success in the game. In Hakan Çalhanoğlu (32) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (37), the Serie A champions have two stalwarts with impressive CVs The latter in particular has represented some of the biggest clubs in Europe and has won the Europa League and Europa Conference League with Manchester United and Roma, respectively.

Although Mkhitaryan is now 37, he has still clocked more than 1800 minutes in the title-winning campaign. Despite his advanced years, the Armenian, with Davide Frattesi (26) as a very capable understudy, provides tenacity and ability with the ball in abundance, helping Inter control the midfield battle.

This allows the likes of Çalhanoğlu, Piotr Zieliński, and the youthful Petar Sučić (22) to showcase their creative talents to feed the hungry strikers at the top of the pitch. The trio have contributed heavily to assist and goal output columns and work tirelessly to provide defensive cover. And if the numbers of wing-backs Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries are taken into account, there is further evidence of the potency of Chivu’s midfield five in the fluid 3-5-2 system.

Despite the raft of talent in Inter’s midfield, the star of the show is undoubtedly vice-captain, Nicolo Barella. The 29-year-old joined Inter from hometown side Cagliari in July 2019 for a fee of €32.50 million and has been one of the first names on the team sheet since. Mixing the ability to tirelessly press opponents, play decisive passes, and contribute significantly at both ends of the pitch, Barella has not only established himself as indispensable in the Inter Milan side, but also for the national team. With 70 caps to his name, Barella not only possesses experience, but the intelligence to take games by the scruff of the neck.

The combination of industry and creativity, displayed by Barella and his fellow midfielders, is what provides Inter Milan with the balance in midfield to effectively influence all phases of play. Although they have fallen short in the Champions League in recent years, Inter remain the team to beat on the domestic front. The likes of Mkhitaryan and Çalhanoğlu might be entering the final phase of their careers, but there is plenty more talent to maintain the balance that has proved vital to success.