Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has decided to start Yann Bisseck over Benjamin Pavard in defense for the Serie A opener against Genoa. This was a surprise given that Pavard was the starter last season and Bisseck was mainly used as a substitute. Bisseck has been part of Inter’s preseason training camp right from the outset, which allowed him to play his way into form as he’s started each one of Inter’s friendly matches. This has given Bisseck a decisive advantage over Pavard, who made a relatively late return to training after the Euros with France. Inter kicked off their Serie A title defense this evening. The Nerazzurri’s first match of the season comes away in Liguria. They take on Genoa at the Marassi, a fixture which has seen them drop points at the last two times of asking.
The Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi is well aware of the difficulty of this evening’s match. The 48-year-old only has playing the strongest team available to him in his mind. He is hungry to begin the campaign with three points.
By and large, that means that Inzaghi will be sticking with a familiar team from last season. The coach is aiming to name more or less the strongest possible starting eleven. That means that there will be no summer signings in the lineup. But there’s one area on the pitch in which Inzaghi is ready to make an eye-catching selection.
Both Bisseck and Pavard arrived at Inter last summer. It was Pavard who Inter signed as the starter. The Frenchman arrived from Bayern Munich on a big money deal to be the regular starter replacing Milan Skriniar. Bisseck, on the other hand, was a less well-known name who Inter bet on to grow into the team. And over the course of the campaign, there was no question that Pavard was the first-choice option on the right of the back three.
But Bisseck grew into the team over the course of the season. He proved to be a convincing backup for Pavard. And Bisseck has had a very positive preseason. The German has been part of Inter’s training camp right from the outset.
This has allowed Bisseck to play his way into form as he’s started each one of Inter’s friendly matches. This would appear to be the decisive advantage that the 23-year-old has over Pavard, who made a relatively late return to training after the Euros with France.
Therefore, according to the Gazzetta, Bisseck will get the nod this evening.
Inter Milan Lineup
Inter Milan's Surprise Start
Inter's decision to start Bisseck over Pavard was a surprise to many, especially considering that Pavard was the starter last season. However, Inzaghi has clearly seen something in Bisseck that he likes. Bisseck has been impressive in preseason and appears to be ready for a bigger role in the team. It will be interesting to see how Bisseck performs in his first start of the season. He will need to prove that he is worthy of his place in the starting lineup and show that he can handle the pressure of playing for a team like Inter Milan.
What's Next for Inter Milan
Inter Milan's next match will be a crucial one as they are going to be taking on AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina on September 1st. The match is a huge one for both teams and is sure to be a tense and exciting affair. Inter will be looking to continue their winning ways and prove that they are still a force to be reckoned with in Serie A. The match will be an opportunity for Bisseck to continue to impress and stake his claim as a regular starter for Inter Milan. Only time will tell whether Bisseck can make the most of this opportunity and become a key player for Inter Milan.
Genoa’s Struggle For Goals
Genoa were forced to rebuild after selling Mateo Retegui to Atalanta and Albert Gudmundsson to Fiorentina, losing their two main goal-scorers. To make matters worse, Caleb Ekuban, David Ankeye and Alan Matturro are injured, so Vitinha and Junior Messias are the only options in attack.
The Match
Inter Milan got their Serie A title defense off to a disappointing start, coming from behind to draw with Genoa 2-2 on Saturday evening. Simone Inzaghi’s side recovered from an early deficit but eventually fumbled two points at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Yann Sommer’s disappointing reaction in the 20th minute helped Genoa defender Alessandro Vogliacco open the scoring with a simple tap-in. However, Alberto Gilardino’s conservative approach after taking the lead backfired on the Griffins as Inter bounced back ten minutes later.
Nicolo Barella whipped in a teasing cross toward Marcus Thuram, who beat his marker in the air to head home a superb header at the half-hour mark. Inter continued to dominate proceedings in the first half but failed to complete the turnaround, largely thanks to Pierluigi Gollini.
Though Inter stuttered in the second half, they turned the game on its head late. Second-half substitute Davide Frattesi served Thuram on a platter, with the Frenchman chipping the ball over Gollini to complete the turnaround in the 85th minute.
It was supposed to be the winner, yet Yann Bisseck handled the ball inside the box, sending Junior Messias to the spot in second-half injury time. Yann Sommer denied the Brazilian’s shot, but the former Milan forward guided the ball into the net in the follow-up to take two points away from Inter.
Player Ratings
The player ratings for the match were as follows:
- Yann Sommer – 5.5
- Yann Bisseck – 4
- Francesco Acerbi – 7
- Alessandro Bastoni – 7
- Matteo Darmian – 6
- Nicolo Barella – 7
- Hakan Calhanoglu – 6.5
- Henrik Mkhitaryan – 6
- Federico Dimarco – 7
- Lautaro Martinez – 6
- Marcus Thuram – 8
- Denzel Dumfries – 6
- Davide Frattesi – 7
- Mehdi Taremi – 5.5
- Carlos Augusto – 5.5
- Kristjan Asllani – N/A
Conclusion
Inter Milan's opening match of the Serie A season was a disappointing one. The team looked rusty and struggled to create chances against a Genoa side that was well organized and defensively sound. Despite taking the lead twice, Inter Milan failed to hold on to their lead and ended up drawing the match. This result will be a cause for concern for Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi as the team will need to improve their performance if they want to challenge for the Serie A title this season. The Nerazzurri will be looking to bounce back from this disappointing result in their next match against AC Milan.
