A few seconds may not be enough to shake the unshakeable confidence of Simone Inzaghi, but they are certainly enough to broaden the horizons of his Inter Milan. Just after 8 PM at Marassi, in their debut against Genoa, fans witnessed a stellar performance as Mehdi Taremi and Davide Frattesi, with assistance from Nicolò Barella, crafted a brilliant play that allowed Marcus Thuram to celebrate his first brace in the black and blue kit. Both Taremi and Frattesi spent much of that match on the bench, waiting for their chance to turn the tide for Inter; now they are anxious to move to the next level and prove themselves as regular starters.
Joining the squad soon is Piotr Zielinski, who has sharpened his skills during this week of group training after recovering from an injury that halted his momentum. Zielinski will start from the bench against Lecce, looking to demonstrate why he deserves a starting spot. He aims to surpass established midfield stars, including Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Zielinski possesses both the experience and quality to quickly become an equal alternative to the current key players, but leading the charge for increased playing time is Frattesi. His impact in Genoa surprises only those unfamiliar with his history at Inter, marked by occasions like this recent performance: he began on the bench but came on to make a huge difference. Last season, he consistently impressed, scoring six goals – making him the second-highest scoring midfielder at Inter, behind Hakan Calhanoglu – and assisting four times despite starting only six games. Naturally, Frattesi expects more game time, and his expectations are likely to be met; Inzaghi plans to rotate the squad more due to the demanding season ahead.
Frattesi’s versatility and well-rounded condition encourage different usage, as he impressed during his debut and showed he could work effectively alongside Barella in midfield when the team shifted to a front line featuring Lautaro Martinez, Thuram, and Taremi.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s match against Lecce, Taremi will make his debut at San Siro, with hopes of charming the crowd as past stars like Lautaro, Romelu Lukaku, and Edin Dzeko have done. An early-season injury held him back, but now he looks ready to seize the moment. Ironically, Taremi may have a better shot at starting if Lautaro were to take a seat on the bench, though that scenario seems unlikely given Lautaro’s status as captain. Nonetheless, the new attacking trio featuring Thuram, Lautaro, and Taremi impressed Inzaghi, who has hinted at trying that lineup again from the start.
The upcoming match against Lecce will be crucial for Inter to rebound after their shaky start and solidify their attacking combinations. It’s certain that Taremi will get more playing time, and his contributions will only increase.
From the bench, Josep Martinez will closely observe goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s performance. The Spaniard understands that his fate is closely tied to the Swiss’s performance, as Sommer faced challenges in his debut against Genoa. Such mistakes are rare for the usually reliable keeper. The story of Inter’s goalkeeping has seen many shifts, from Julio Cesar to Francesco Toldo, and more recently from Andre Onana to Samir Handanovic. Josep remains patient, ready for his chance, knowing that it will eventually come.