Former Inter and Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin says the Nerazzurri need to be careful: “Atletico are playing for their season.” The two sides meet at the Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday evening in a match that will have a big impact on Atleti’s season. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Godin explained why he thinks the game is 50-50 as to who qualifies and what to expect from Los Colchoneros:
“I played one year at Inter and 9 at Atletico: everyone knows where my heart beats, and my analysis starts from this assumption. A brief introduction to say that Atletico must isolate this game from the seasonal context. If we consider it as part of a season, Inter is superior: they lost 2 games against Atletico’s 11. Inter comes from an endless series of victories, Atletico also lost to Cadiz. But Wednesday’s game will be another story: many times games are labeled as finals, and this is really the case for Atletico. If they don’t come back, the end of the season will be long and tiring, with the only goal left being the defense of the fourth place. A gray perspective.”
And how do you isolate a game?
“By thinking only about that, and I assure you that the players know how to do it. Atletico cannot afford to broaden its horizon, it must narrow it down to the maximum. And then rely on the stadium, the crowd, its hunger, its history in the Champions League. The Metropolitano will be a pressure cooker, the fans will prepare something special and transmit faith and warmth to the team in a special way. The environmental aspect will be fundamental. And then Atletico at home this year has lost only once: the Metropolitano is an important and differential factor.”
How did you see the first leg?
“A bit as I expected. Inter is in a great moment. From afar, I had the impression that in Spain, Inzaghi’s team was underestimated, not by Cholo but by the Atletico world. There were those who thought that Atletico could win, perhaps even easily, and obviously it’s not the case. Inter, in terms of squad, is among the best in Europe, it is perfectly balanced and very prepared. They have been working for years on a very clear idea, with a precise game system that has been improved over time thanks to targeted and successful signings. It was a difficult game for Atletico, Inter took the ball away from them and created chances, played in a direct and authoritative manner, and Atletico was unable to stop the opponent clearly. Inter dominated.”
And the return leg, starting from the abstraction you mentioned?
“Atletico must play the game, and they will try. I’m not talking about dominating the game or creating chances, but about emotional control, sensations, being more direct, vertical, pressing higher and stealing the ball in crucial areas in the opponent’s field to create goal-scoring opportunities. Atletico cannot speculate, they must attack the game.”
This Atletico is very different from yours. It is defensively fragile.
“Granted that these are different moments, players, and eras, in our time we focused on efficient and disciplined defensive work by everyone, it was the way to make the goals we scored more profitable. The idea was to score a goal and make the most of it: ‘We don’t score much, but the others don’t score against us.’ We didn’t think about aesthetics but only about the result. Now everything is very different, starting from the game system: we always defended with 4, by heart, now with 5. The team has changed its way of playing, the offensive aspect has been improved, with a more visible volume of play and more goals. Atletico today is capable of dominating in possession but suffers defensively, and it’s an aspect that needs to be improved.”
Inter has one of the best defences in Europe.
“It doesn’t surprise me. Already in my time, with Conte, we started from defensive solidity, Inter was built like that. In that season, we finished second, one point behind Juve, with the best defense and the second-best attack in Serie A, behind Atalanta. Today again, Inter has a great defense and a spectacular offensive potential with Lautaro and Thuram, in addition to mixed midfielders who attack and defend in the same way. It is a truly complete team and very difficult to beat, it will be very tough for Atletico.”
Percentages?
“I say 50 and 50. Because playing at home, Atletico has a plus with which it recovers the disadvantage accumulated at San Siro, bringing it back to parity: I believe that this plus in terms of environment can be converted into goals. I see the fans as an extra player, an emotional presence that cannot be read or interpreted with normal analysis criteria related to the moment or the season.”
