CF Monterrey – Internazionale: Matching Structures Cancel Each Other Out (1-1)

Internazionale needed to abandon the trauma of last season’s finale: perhaps another competition under a new coach could aid in such healing. But in similar structures are similar results, and CF Monterrey made their first game in America a very frustrating one.

Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.

Gianni Infantino’s brainchild has not taken off as well as he anticipated. Bad attendance and a lack of interest have been the topic of conversation, at least among European elites. Though the tournament is yet to spark, matchups between unique clubs and cultures can offer interesting tactical dynamics.

For Internazionale, perhaps this tournament has come too soon from a disastrous end of the season. Three weeks after a Champions League final defeat, a final so damaging that it altered the legacy of Simone Inzaghi. He would take the lucrative offer of Al-Hilal, whilst Inter turned to Cristian Chivu, whose management of Parma left little to be desired, but is a coach who worked his way up through the Inter youth system. 

Chivu has already vowed to keep the framework that Inzaghi had left: “We will try to be a fluid and asymmetrical team. We want to maintain the principles, improving and adding. But without losing the good things that have been done in these years.” The first opponent to be put to the test would be CF Monterrey of Liga MX. They endured a frustrating end to their season, seventh in the Clausara table and knocked out in the . . .