Simone Inzaghi’s Inter, up to this point in the season, at the beginning of February, has literally “dominated” the Serie A championship: 57 points gathered, with 18 wins, 3 draws against Juve, Genoa, and Bologna, and only one loss against Sassuolo in October. They’ve scored 51 goals, leading the league’s attack, with a +5 advantage over Milan, and conceded just 10 goals, making them the least scored upon defense, trailing Juventus by -4. In between, they’ve won and dominated direct clashes, from a 5-1 victory over the cross-town rivals to a 1-0 win against the Bianconeri, which was more convincing than the score suggests. Nothing seems to dent the Nerazzurri army, capable of overcoming even the few moments of difficulty faced so far, like the home game against Verona. It’s an Inter powerhouse, practically invincible.
14 POINTS IN 120 DAYS
So, what could go wrong? Is Serie A already over? Most likely, yes, but there’s a glimmer of hope that could keep the dreams of a comeback alive for their rivals: Juventus and Milan are currently 4 and 8 points behind, respectively, but Inter still has to play Atalanta at San Siro at the end of the month, with the chance to extend their lead to +7 and +11 (Milan). The last obstacle for the Nerazzurri in their quest for the second star is the fact that in the past two years, February and March have been the worst months for Inzaghi and his team, as confirmed by the horror stats of 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, where they managed to scrape together a measly 14 points in 120 days.
THE HORROR STATS
Actions speak louder than words, numbers never lie. Statistics reveal that the months before spring are usually tough for the former Lazio coach: two years ago, in 2021-2022, they only managed 7 points out of 21 available, with just one win (a 5-0 thrashing of Salernitana at San Siro), four draws (away against Napoli, Genoa, and Torino, and at home against Fiorentina), and two losses, including the famous derby defeat to Milan with Giroud’s heroics and a loss at home to Sassuolo. The same story played out last year, in the 2022/2023 season, when from February 13th to March 19th, Inter gathered only 7 points out of 18 available: two wins, at home against Udinese and Lecce, one draw against the struggling Sampdoria in Genoa, and three losses, at Bologna, Spezia, and at home against Allegri’s Juve.
Allegri like Pioli, hopes that history repeats itself: two years ago, Milan won the league with a dramatic comeback that still haunts Inter fans, and last year, it was Napoli’s turn. To finally secure his first Serie A title as a coach, Inzaghi must overcome this curse, starting with Saturday’s away match at the Stadio Olimpico against Roma, facing the hated former player Lukaku, where he won’t be on the sidelines due to suspension.
