Inter Milan’s Struggles Cast Doubt on Season Before High-Stakes Barcelona Encounter.
Wednesday’s tough match against Barcelona couldn’t come at a worse time for Inter Milan. Since reaching the Champions League semi-finals, they’ve been on a disheartening run, losing three matches in a row without managing to score a single goal.
This late-season slump has all but dashed their hopes of securing any silverware, leaving fans and players alike wondering when they might find their next victory. The recent defeats have also allowed Napoli to take a three-point lead in Serie A as the season heads into its final stages, and a disappointing 3-0 loss to AC Milan in the Italian Cup knockout has further dampened spirits.
Simone Inzaghi’s side appears fatigued and out of ideas going forward. Their 1-0 defeat to Roma at home was witnessed by a San Siro crowd that seemed lifeless compared to the vibrant atmosphere that had surrounded their win over Bayern Munich just two weeks earlier. Following the loss, Inzaghi remarked, “We deserved more and created situations from which we failed to get anything, largely because we lacked sharpness. Maybe a positive result would have given us more energy, but we need to find that from within ourselves. We’ve got to recharge our batteries, both mentally and physically.”
This marks the first time since 2012 that Inter has lost three consecutive matches without scoring, a painful reminder of a particularly challenging period in the club’s history. The last time they faced defeat against Roma was back in October 2022, just days before they secured a win against Barcelona that helped propel them to the Champions League final in Istanbul, where they narrowly fell to Manchester City.
Inter faces a challenging setup ahead, given that their match against Roma was rescheduled to Sunday due to Pope Francis’ funeral, leaving less time for players like Benjamin Pavard to recover from an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Barcelona are buoyantly riding high after their recent triumph over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, a victory that left their rivals reeling after a third straight defeat.
Despite the struggles, wing-back Carlos Augusto expressed confidence: “We’re not scared. The best thing is to be in April and still have something to play for. We have a chance to achieve something extraordinary, and we’re not afraid. This team has already won a lot and is always focused.”
Inzaghi is desperate for striker Marcus Thuram to return, as the alternatives have struggled alongside Lautaro Martinez, who has been visibly worn out and frustrated. The captain has been a crucial player in their Champions League journey, racking up seven goals in just five matches since the start of the year. This makes his recent fatigue even more worrying. He stood out in the games against Bayern, playing a significant role in helping the team secure a place in the semi-finals.
Now, with the dream season slipping away, Inter Milan is racing against time to salvage something from what initially promised to be a remarkable campaign.
