OPINION: Inzaghi's Inter are tactically astute and entertaining in equal measure
Inter were a very good team under Antonio Conte and the Italian deserves credit for taking them to their first Serie A title in 11 years. He is one of few elite managers who successfully plays a back-five formation with wing-backs and a front two. Unfortunately for him and his legacy at Inter, one man who uses the same formation and with better results, is his successor Inzaghi.
How does Inzaghi set his Inter side up?
The formation used by Inzahgi is not identical and it has different variations to Conte's but the principal is the same. However, Inzaghi uses it differently - his style is more progressive, on the front foot and fluid. They often control large periods of matches against weaker opposition and confuse their opponents with underlapping centre-backs and overlapping full-backs as well as getting bodies into the box.
They play with controlled intensity during the majority of matches but sometimes look to counter-attack with pace and purpose when in transition. One striker comes deep (Marcus Thuram) whilst the other plays on the shoulder of the centre-backs and looks to get in behind (Lautaro Martinez). It is fast, furious and exhilarating football which makes them the leading scorers in the league and by some way.
Thuram and Martinez have developed a strong connection on the pitch. Martinez has grabbed the headlines and rightly so - the Argentine has developed into a world class striker under Inzaghi, scoring over 20 Serie A goals in every season since the Italian became manager.
But Thuram has been everything you would want from a strike partner. The Frenchman never stops running, he comes deep, drifts wide and makes runs in behind. He is a hassle for the opposition defenders and is always freeing up space for the main man - Martinez.
As well as his 12 Serie A goals, Thuram has seven assists and four of those were for Martinez. As the deadly duo move into next season, expect their understanding to only further blossom, a scary prospect for Serie A and Champions League centre-backs alike.
Defensively, Inzhagi sets his team up to be compact, whilst they attack in a 3-5-2 shape, they defend as a 5-3-2 mostly in a low-block. The idea is to press from the front as soon as the build-up from the opposition is slowed down and the rest of the team pushes up to keep the compact shape. Similarly to the side's impressive attacking output, defensively Inter have been just as strong. They have conceded just 18 goals in Serie A with just four matches to play, the next best defence being Juventus with eight more goals conceded.
The truth is though, Inzaghi doesn't have one set style because he asks his team to adapt to different situations, Inter can play possession football, fast-paced counter-attacking and long balls in the same game. It is a rare trait for one of Europe's elite coaches to be as adaptable as Inzaghi is but it is refreshing to see someone not too stubborn and afraid to have a plan B.
Smart new transfer strategy & brilliant bargain deals
Another key reason for Inzaghi's growing success since joining in 2021 is his different approach to transfer strategy compared to Conte before him. Whilst Conte relied upon big-name signings for hefty fees, no more so than Romelu Lukaku for 80 million Euros, Inzaghi's most expensive signing has been Joaquin Correa for just 33 million Euros.
It is also worth noting that most of Conte's winning side have since moved on as Inzaghi has looked to assemble his own squad through cheap deals and free transfers on players coming to the end of their contracts. His standout signings in fact have been free agents. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Calhanoglu and most recently Thuram have all been resounding successes and they collectively cost Inter nothing in transfer fees.
Calhanoglu at the base of the midfield has been a revelation, something few would have predicted given his inconsistent displays as an attacking midfielder at AC Milan. Likewise, it seemed as if Mkhitaryan's best days were over before he joined but he has been one of Inter's most consistent players and is the creator behind forwards Martinez and Thuram.
As for Thuram, there were question marks over him too after Inter failed to bring back Romelu Lukaku on loan in the summer. The French striker was not seen amongst fans as being the answer and few believed he would excel the way he has. Although his goal output is similar to Lukaku's, most critics would agree that Thuram and Martinez's partnership has been more effective and his all-round game is better than the Belgian's.
Wherever you look Inzaghi has made cost-effective, smart signings, most of which have been resounding successes. When you also factor in his ability to get the best out of his signings and at times reinvent careers, you have a manager who deserves all the praise he gets.
Inter will look to challenge on all fronts next season
And I would argue he hasn't been praised enough. With all the talk in Europe this season focused around Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen, Thiago Motta's Bologna and Michel's Girona - Inzaghi's Inter have unfairly gone under the radar. The Italian is rarely among the names mentioned in the media concerning this summer's manager merry-go-round.
But maybe he should be.
Because Inzaghi's Inter will strengthen further in the transfer market (you'd expect with a larger budget) and they will look to win on all fronts. Where they might have fallen short this year in Europe, next season expect them to be more ready - a European force to be taken seriously.
After all, in Inzaghi's three seasons as Inter boss, they have won the Coppa Italia twice (in 2022 and 2023), made the Champions League final (in 2023) and won the Serie A (in 2024). If Inzaghi can find a way to put the best parts of each of his first three seasons into one campaign, Inter could find themselves playing for a treble come next May.
