Christian Chivu does not believe that the result of the first derby of the season between Inter and Milan will be decisive for the battle for the Serie A title. The “Nerazzurri“ welcome their city rival in an excellent position, after leading the standings with 25 points and having a seven-point lead over fifth-placed Milan.
Inter is among the three teams that have not yet lost in the championship after nine rounds played. Milan, on the other hand, suffered their first defeat this week, losing to Bologna. Despite the difference in standings, Chivu is adamant that such indicators do not matter in the derby.
“The players are ready and know what this match means. The derby always brings additional motivation. The standings do not matter and do not decide anything. We know Milan's strengths and we know how they can cause us problems. They are a technical team, so we have to keep our compactness and be careful about the spaces behind the defense“, said the coach.
Chivu also recalled Inter's unpleasant statistics in recent clashes with their city rivals. “The Nerazzurri“ have not won any of the last seven derbies, and the coach believes that the team needs to draw the necessary conclusions.
“We have to ask ourselves why we have not won the last seven derbies. There were individual situations and moments that developed in Milan's favor. We have to make some additional sacrifices. Last season taught me that the derby does not decide the title. This is another big match in Serie A in which there are three points to be won. "After all, this is only the tenth round," explained the Romanian specialist.
History is also on Inter's side when it comes to head-to-head results in the Italian top flight. The "Nerazzurri" have 70 wins and 260 goals scored against Milan - more than any other opponent in Serie A history. At the same time, the "Rossoneri" have scored 236 goals against Inter, with only Roma and Juventus having scored more against this opponent.
Kivu's team is in good form and attacking, having scored a goal in each of their last 19 Serie A matches. The last time Inter failed to score was against Milan in March.
However, the coach stressed that he does not divide football into attacking and defensive and that the most important thing is for the team to find the right balance.
„I am not a coach who prefers attack over defense. You have to understand the different moments in the game and when you have to give your all. The task is to find the right balance. If you lose 0-1, it is unpleasant, but if you win 1-0, you are happy. Although when Inter do it, there is always something to criticize,“ said Chivu.
In conclusion, the coach asked his players to go out on the pitch with maximum dedication, without thinking too much about the tension surrounding the derby.
“I want my players to give their all, to leave the pitch with their heads held high and knowing that they did everything possible,“ concluded the Inter coach.