How has Inter’s line-up changed since the memorable draw with Slavia?

Exactly three years and eight months. On 17 September 2019, the Sevilla team led until the 92nd minute, then the favourite of the Champions League group stage match equalised. How has the line-up of this year’s LM finalist changed since one of the best matches in the history of Slavia?

The Sešiovans were playing their best football of the last fifteen years and played a really even game with Inter. Moreover, had the head referee been stricter, they could have finished outnumbered after a nasty tackle by Kwadwo Asamoah.

In the end, Jindřich Trpišovský’s charges had to take the point, as Romelu Lukaku’s header was sensationally saved by Ondřej Kolář in stoppage time to make it 2-1.

The attack as then

If we can find the biggest match in one of the line-ups, it is definitely the attacking pair. Both then-coach Antonio Conte and now Simone Inzaghi have a three-stopper, two-back formation, with Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez at their disposal.

In the memorable match of Slavia at San Siro, stopper David Hovorka shone with his successful defending of Lukaku, nowadays Edin Džeko is more in the starting line-up instead, while the Belgian tank comes into the game in a joker role. In any case, Martinez held his spot in the lineup and decided the rematch with AC with the only goal of the game.

The cat of the red and white’s current star

Finding the biggest progression since the draw with Slavia was easy. The then still nascent outstanding number eight Nicolo Barella came on from the bench and levelled the score in the set-up, now the midfield cannot be imagined without him.

Marcelo Brozovic and Roberto Gagliardini are still in the squad. Although both went into the game as substitutes in the rematch, the Croatian worker in particular still has a substantial role at Inter.

Danilo D’Ambrosio and Stefan de Vrij could theoretically start in the semi-final, but both have lost their position in the team since the Slavia game and are only substitutes. Milan Škriniar is sidelined by injury.

Changes mainly in defence

While the midfield and the attack are often made up of players who remember the match against Slavia, the defence is much different. The stopper trio consists of Federico Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni and Matteo Darmian, neither of whom played at the time.

As for the wing-backs, everything has changed. The clear leader on the right is Denzel Dumfries, while on the left the offspring of Federico Dimarco is in great form. When needed, German Robin Gosens is an adequate replacement.

Source: Champions League