Cristian Chivu spoke about the big game between Inter and AC Milan during his press conference this afternoon, stating that his players are ready.
It has been a great season for Inter so far, sitting ten points clear of Milan thanks to just four defeats and one draw in the league. They now have the opportunity to extend the lead to 13 points, which would practically secure the Scudetto with ten games to go.
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Speaking to the media at his press conference this evening, via FCInter1908, Chivu shared his thoughts on the difficulty of the game while providing some injury updates. He also made it clear that there has been a clear improvement since the reverse fixture, which Milan won by the odd goal.
You have changed your pace since the reverse fixture. How important are tomorrow’s 90 minutes?
“It’s a derby, and we all know what it means for two strong teams in the same city, with big ambitions. We need to maintain the good work we have done so far, trying to be competitive and finding a way to best express our recent growth.”
How’s Calhanoglu doing? Is he ready to start?
“The boys are doing pretty well. They trained well after Como. Thuram has a slight fever and wasn’t able to train. We hope he will be 100% fit tomorrow and available. Calhanoglu is fine and available for tomorrow. The Como experience was useful to him.”
How will you face the challenge mentally?
“Since the beginning of the year, we have been mentally preparing for every match, regardless of the opponent. We don’t underestimate or overestimate anyone. What matters is managing the games, what we want to achieve, without losing sight of the reality of the match.
“The identity and ambitions we have deservedly built this year allow us to be calm, knowing we are facing a strong team. Milan can cause us problems, they have only lost two games so far. They have good players, top-notch individuals.”
How have Inter changed since the first leg?
“You always have to learn and improve from defeats. They allow you to analyse certain things more deeply. It’s no coincidence that after that match, in this regard, there was a clear improvement in the league.
“We maintain a positive attitude and focus throughout the 100 minutes of a match. It’s no coincidence that we have had a string of important and well-played matches.”
It remains to be seen what the outcome will be tomorrow. However, while Inter are looking to give themselves a great position in the Scudetto race, Milan are looking to do the double over their rivals. In short, there is motivation for both sides.
Thuram has become a ghost. His absence would not be felt anyway.