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Tactical experiments by coach Cristian Chivu robbed Inter Milan of their sense of “certainty” against Urawa Red Diamonds.

This according to today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews.

Inter Milan did get the win that they were after against Urawa Red Diamonds. The Nerazzurri won in the last gasps of the match, with Valentin Carboni scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time.

That gives Inter a big foothold heading into their final group stage match. Watch Inter Milan vs River Plate for FREE with DAZN on any device!

However, Inter had to do it the hard way.

For much of the first half, the Nerazzurri were held at arm’s length by Urawa Red Diamonds.

Particularly after the Japanese side went ahead early on, Inter dominated the ball but struggled to turn it into any particularly dangerous chances.

Chivu Experiments Rob Inter Of “Certainty” Vs Urawa Red Diamonds

The Corriere dello Sport lay the blame for Inter’s poor performance at the feet of Cristian Chivu and his tactical changes.

The 44-year-old set the Nerazzurri up in a 3-4-2-1 shape rather than their usual 3-5-2 formation.

And this seemed to confuse matters in the final third.

In the first half, Inter always had plenty of options to circulate the ball around.

However, Nicola Zalewski and Sebastiano Esposito acting as attacking midfielders never quite coordinated with the rest of the team.

There were too many players central and in the channels. But no real fluidity or sense of purpose to how the Nerazzurri were moving the ball in the final third.

On the other hand, when Francesco Pio Esposito came on for the second half and Inter switched to more of a 3-5-2 shape, Inter had more of a reference point to attack the Urawa Reds penalty area.

This article first appeared on SempreInter.com and was syndicated with permission.

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