Chivu’s team concedes goals far too often in the last 15 minutes, confirming that they need to regain their solidity. And the goalkeeper rarely looks confident
The crack is Nerazzurri-colored and is widening rapidly, faster and faster. Inter leaves the Franchi with a meager, lucky point, the result of a match where Chivu’s squad took quite a few risks: Harrison’s left-footed shot grazing the post, Kean’s right-footed shot from a step and a half away, Gudmundsson’s header that went just wide, and Ndour’s easy tap-in with 13 minutes left. The goal that allowed Vanoli’s side to claw their way back into a match they even deserved to win.
Meanwhile, a statistic: Inter have conceded nine of their 24 league goals in the final 15 minutes. The latest came in Florence, the second in a row after the one against Atalanta (82′). A clear sign that they need to regain their solidity, especially in the closing stages. Against the Viola, Chivu—suspended and in the stands—changed the defensive setup at the end of the first half, shaking up both the marking and the build-up play. In the first 45 minutes, Inter played with Akanji in the middle, Bisseck on the right, and Carlos Augusto on the left. It didn’t go well: the Swiss player struggled to mark Kean—who broke free a couple of times—while the Brazilian was booked a minute before halftime (already on a yellow card, he’ll miss Inter vs. Roma). Chivu watched the match from a skybox in the stands. After seeing Akanji’s struggles against Kean, he took it upon himself to change the lineup: in came Acerbi, who hadn’t played in the league since January 17, and out went Carlos. The Italian international marked Kean, with Akanji on the right and Bisseck on the left. The German was the best of the back line. He pushed forward consistently—a pass to Dumfries on the right after a 20-meter run was commendable—and defended well too. He was the only bright spot in a back line searching for solidity.
More mistakes—  The question is fair: Could Sommer have done more on the goal? The answer leans toward yes, perhaps, because Gudmundsson’s shot wasn’t unstoppable and Ndour was waiting on the rebound like a hawk. The rest is shown by the numbers: Inter haven’t won in three Serie A matches (four counting the Coppa Italia). They’ve recorded three draws and one loss. They’ve conceded three goals and scored only two. Lautaro’s absence is weighing heavily. When play resumes on Easter Sunday, Roma will visit San Siro. The Scudetto race hinges on this match and the Napoli-Milan clash on Easter Monday. Chivu has two weeks to patch up the cracks.