Inter have a problem

Simone Inzaghi had never seen Inter concede so many goals in one game. But Juventus had really put four past them, and with better finishing, they could've made it five or six.

The Derby d'Italia was a heavyweight fight full of vicious left hooks and mean uppercuts. No one could've expected so much action from two traditionally defensive teams. Inter could've scored more, too, but they didn't need any more goals. All they needed to do was see the game out. Instead, they threw caution to the wind, entertaining a see-saw battle that saw the middle of the field - and a healthy 4-2 lead - disintegrate.

It's symptomatic of a great issue at the back. Inter have now conceded 13 goals through their first nine Serie A matches - more than double the five they allowed after as many games last term. The last time they opened a season with so many goals conceded was in October 2022 when they found themselves in seventh place.

Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij, and Alessandro Bastoni aren't the foolproof trio they were last season. Federico Dimarco suffered whenever Francisco Conceicao took him on. Denzel Dumfries may have scored one of Inter's goals but blew a number of assignments on the back end.

It was strange to see Inzaghi's team backpedal as much as it did on Sunday. Juventus ghosted past Inter's usually dominant midfield with relative ease and seemed almost surprised to find pockets of space in the penalty area.

A 1-0 lead used to be a death sentence for Inter's opponents. But they've allowed leads to slip against AC Milan, Udinese, Torino, and Juventus in recent weeks. That they lost only one of those matches is a testament to their fighting spirit, which remains in high supply. But the warning signs are there.

Key observations 👀

Developing storylines that deserve your attention.

Can Francesco Totti really play at 48?. Totti claimed last week that two Serie A teams had reached out to him to gauge his interest in a sensational return to football. Como are reportedly one of them. Of course they are. They're the darlings of Serie A right now and want as many eyeballs on them as possible. But what evidence is there that Totti can perform? While he's remained in football in one form or another - briefly serving as director for Roma - he hasn't played competitively in seven years. Charity matches don't count.
This is Mario Balotelli's last chance. Balotelli waited five months for a Serie A team to call him. Genoa eventually gave him his chance. But he has no time to waste. The Grifoni are in the throes of a relegation battle and desperately need goals. Balotelli is also 34 and in need of match fitness. The press will crucify him if he doesn't make an immediate impact. It's a high-risk move for a club that's already dealing with the fallout of ownership group 777 Partners collapsing over unpaid debts.
Roma are a disaster. Fans waiting outside Rome's central train station on Sunday night told the players to "grow a pair" after their humbling 5-1 loss to Fiorentina left them in 11th place in Serie A. The mood has soured since Daniele De Rossi was fired in September, with replacement Ivan Juric winning just three of his eight matches in charge. A rigid coach like Juric was never going to turn Roma into an offensive juggernaut, but they're somehow worse defensively. Rehiring De Rossi won't fix that. Starting Mats Hummels, who's only played 24 minutes, won't change much. The Friedkin Group is the problem here. Roma's owners have failed to deliver a stadium or lay the blueprint for a credible project since acquiring the club in 2020. They alienated Totti and the fans and are now focused on buying Everton. It's a bad look.

Things you should know 🔎

News stories that went under the radar.

Red Bull is in talks to buy Torino. The company is already Torino's "official energy drink" and talks are reportedly underway to become the club's majority owner and main sponsor. There's some neat symmetry between Red Bull and Torino, whose logo includes the "rampant bull" from the city's coat of arms. But news of Red Bull's interest seems more than superficial. Torino could even buy their stadium with the manufacturer's help.
Roberto Mancini is done with Saudi Arabia. The Italian left his role as head coach of the Saudi national team after winning just nine of 21 matches in charge. Saudi Arabia was also eliminated in the round of 16 of the Asian Cup earlier this year. His coaching career has often been full of ups and owns. He struggled to find consistent work after helping Manchester City win the Premier League in 2012 and struggled to replicate success after guiding Italy to Euro glory in 2021.
Leonardo Bonucci becomes a coach. He's now an assistant on Italy's U20 team and will help prepare the team for the U20 World Cup next year.

Reader Mailbag 📬

The best comments and reaction from the community.

On Thursday, I asked you what you would do with San Siro if you were running either AC Milan or Inter. Longtime X user and Milan fan Francis Otiba said he would simply renovate the stadium.

"The San Siro is iconic," he wrote in an email. "The infrastructural investment around the San Siro, including the purple (subway) line, makes it very complex to break down. If I were AC Milan, I wouldn't leave the San Siro. I would bring in sponsors or bring in new Arab ownership who can retrofit or reinforce the current structure and do modifications and create hospitality areas. The San Siro gotta stay. But Inter have to leave."

Remember, you can email me with your comments and suggestions about anything Serie A-related. I'll post the best correspondence here every Monday.

Parting shot 💥

Final remarks about the current state of Serie A.

Immediately after Serie A postponed Bologna's match against AC Milan, a number of fans argued the season had lost credibility. They claimed it had been unnecessarily tampered with and that Serie A rolled over. They were upset that Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders had to serve their suspensions on Tuesday against first-place Napoli.

Those feelings are valid. The weather didn't prevent a local boxing event from taking place 10 minutes away from the stadium. Why couldn't they just play the game behind closed doors?

But things happen. Milan benefitted from a similar situation in 2022 when Inter lost a game Serie A was forced to reschedule because of rising COVID-19 levels in Bologna earlier that year.

If the response here wasn't equitable, it was at least understandable. Heavy rainfall that flooded the region earlier in the week. More than 160 millimetres of rain fell in Bologna in one day, forcing schools to close. One person died after a car was swept away by rising water. It was a dangerous situation. Precautions were taken.

It's no different when a team gets a favorable call. In the end, you have to accept it and move on. Dwelling on it makes no difference. It's up to Milan to decide how they want to proceed with an already difficult season.

Thanks for reading. If you're new to the newsletter, please subscribe here. Calcio Square is reader-supported and is only as strong as its community. Issues are free to read.