Alessandro Bastoni has sent a clear message to fans expressing disappointment but urging everyone not to make a drama out of the situation and to quickly regroup. The Inter Milan defender stepped up to address the defensive issues following a shaky start to the season, where the team conceded two goals in their opening match.
The performance of the defense was under scrutiny, particularly pointing fingers at goalkeeper Yann Sommer and defender Yann Aurel Bisseck. Manager Simone Inzaghi talked about a “lack of clarity” but also emphasized that Bisseck has “absolute value.” The main concern, as highlighted, is the team’s concentration. “We conceded two goals that we shouldn’t have; we could have done better,” Inzaghi remarked.
Last season, Inter secured their second star largely due to having the best defense in the league, conceding just 22 goals. However, the current squad clearly needs adjustments. Starting with Sommer, the new goalkeeper had a disappointing game, rated just 4.5 out of 10. He appeared distracted and uncertain, although he did get a slight boost in his rating for saving a penalty from Messias—his 17th career penalty save. Nonetheless, his overall performance was subpar, marked by two glaring errors in building play. The Genoa players recognized his intentions and intercepted crucial passes, contributing to Inter’s defensive woes.
The first goal conceded resulted from indecision, with a header from Bani hitting the crossbar and falling perfectly for Vogliacco, who capitalized and put Genoa ahead. Notably, last season, Inter only allowed one goal in their first five games, making this start with two goals against in just ninety minutes particularly disappointing.
Bisseck had been one of the standout players in pre-season but made a critical error leading to the second penalty. Prior to that mistake, he had played well, unlike Acerbi, who seemed out of shape, and Darmian, who was inaccurate and lacked attacking contributions. With Bastoni also not performing at his usual level, alarm bells are ringing for Inzaghi and his coaching staff as they face the challenge of tightening up their defense moving forward.
