Cristian Chivu acknowledged that Inter Milan “suffered” during their 4-3 victory over Como, but also observed a display of “maturity” from his squad, especially after falling behind 2-0. He also humorously alluded to the Scudetto race, taking a playful jab at rivals Antonio Conte and Max Allegri.
The Nerazzurri demonstrated their title-contending qualities in a dramatic match at the Stadio Sinigaglia. They found themselves trailing 2-0 due to goals from Alex Valle and Nico Paz. However, a brace from Marcus Thuram and another from Denzel Dumfries propelled Inter into a 4-2 lead. Despite a late penalty conversion by Lucas Da Cunha for Como, Inter held on to secure the 4-3 win.
Chivu Commends Inter’s Comeback Spirit
Speaking to DAZN Italia, Chivu stated, “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy; we were up against a team fighting for something important, and they proved it in the first half with their mobility, pace, pressing, and intensity.” He added, “We were struggling and went 2-0 down, but we got a goal back, which gave us confidence. After the restart, we stepped up a gear, showed some character, and turned it around, though it certainly wasn’t easy.”
Inter had previously faced Como in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final last month, ending in a 0-0 draw. Even without the injured Lautaro Martinez, who was present on the bench to support his teammates, Inter has been exceptionally potent this season, scoring 102 goals in 46 competitive games.
Chivu revealed the team’s preparation for set pieces: “We trained only on set plays this morning, knowing they would be a good opportunity to score goals here. It’s down to the hard work of my staff and the players that we are so prolific in these situations. We have great free-kick takers and players who are strong in the air, so it would be a shame not to make the most of that.”
The remarkable turnaround, the second time this season Inter has come back from two goals down to win (the previous being against Pisa), was attributed to their resilience. “This was a victory of maturity, where we understood the moments of the match,” Chivu continued. “With seven rounds to go, we must raise our ambitions, understand how important it is to get onto that field and extend our advantage over second place. We were surprised by the intensity of Como in the first half, but we reacted like a mature team.”
Following draws for Napoli and a loss for Milan this weekend, Inter has extended their lead at the top of the table to nine points with six rounds remaining. When questioned about having the Scudetto secured, Chivu playfully remarked, “I’ll do like my colleagues who only talk about Champions League qualification and I’ll say that we are happy to get closer to that target. Mathematically, we’re not there yet.”
Dumfries, who scored twice in the match, has been a significant player for Inter. Chivu acknowledged his importance: “We did miss him, as obviously with him we have a different option to attack the space, including on set plays. Luis Henrique is perhaps better at keeping the ball, but Denzel has more power, he is a presence in the box and knows how to time runs to the back post, as we saw today.”
