Inter Milan lined up with Marcus Thuram, Federico Dimarco, and Nicolò Barella in a pre-season friendly against Chelsea, managed by Enzo Maresca. The match was held at Stamford Bridge in London and kicked off at 15:00 UK time. This game served as a final tune-up for Inter before their Serie A opener against Genoa, offering a last chance to fine-tune their tactics.
Despite the experimental nature of the match, Inter’s coach Simone Inzaghi largely stuck to his preferred 3-5-2 formation, a strategy that had proven successful in the previous season, helping Inter secure the Scudetto and the Supercoppa Italiana. However, the team faced several absences due to injuries.
Hakan Calhanoglu was sidelined with a minor muscle injury, joining Piotr Zielinski, Mehdi Taremi, and Marko Arnautovic on the injury list. Lautaro Martinez was also unavailable for this match, having only just returned to training after winning the Copa America with Argentina.
In the absence of these key players, Joaquin Correa, despite being listed for transfer, was given a starting role alongside Thuram, who made his first start of the summer. This match was crucial for Inter as they aimed to solidify their lineup and tactics before the competitive season began.
On the other side, Chelsea, under the guidance of Maresca, had made significant investments during the summer transfer window, resulting in a deep squad with numerous options.
However, for this match, Maresca opted to leave some notable players like Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling on the bench. Additionally, former Inter striker Romelu Lukaku, who is expected to move to Napoli, was not included in the squad, as he remains frozen out of the team.
The starting lineup for Inter featured Sommer in goal, with Bisseck, Acerbi, and Carlos Augusto in defense. Darmian, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, and Dimarco made up the midfield, while Thuram and Correa led the attack.
Chelsea’s lineup included Sanchez in goal, with Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, and Cucurella in defense. Fernandez and Lavia formed the midfield base, supporting an attacking trio of Madueke, Dewsbury-Hall, and Mudryk, with Guiu leading the line.
This match was a key opportunity for both teams to test their strategies and player combinations ahead of the upcoming season, providing valuable insights for the coaches as they prepare for their respective league campaigns.
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