Inter Milan struggle in big matches and miss Dumfries on the right

A worrying trend in direct clashes and the need for January reinforcements emerge from the Corriere della Sera analysis

The newspaper highlights Inter Milan’s growing difficulties, especially in major matches, and the urgent need for reinforcements on the right flank to cope with Denzel Dumfries’ injury.

Inter Milan have recorded just one win in their last seven matches against Bologna, the team that will open their 2026 and close their season in May. 

Even more concerning, they have not won any of their last 13 games against Milan, Napoli and Juventus.

“To say that Inter Milan stopped at their last trophy, the Scudetto for the second star, would be unfair. However, the trend in big matches, starting with the final lost to PSG in Munich, has continued with defeats against Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, as well as the loss to Fluminense in June,” Corriere della Sera via Fcinter1908 writes.

“And while Cristian Chivu’s undeniable merit has been to piece things back together, especially on a psychological level after the shock of Munich, the cracks are clearly visible whenever the team is exposed to the spotlight of big nights,” the paper adds.

Big matches, penalties and a costly pattern

After the Supercoppa, spoke of an inexplicable defeat, while Chivu referred to the penalty shootout as a lottery. Yet, objectively, the penalties were taken very poorly.

“There is always a different reason to justify a defeat. And the Supercoppa loss, even if it came from the spot, must be included in a seasonal tally that has already reached six defeats. Especially because it is the most expensive one: a potential loss of €7.1 million (£6.1 million),” the newspaper notes.

The core issue lies in head-to-head clashes, a problem that has worsened since Dumfries has been unavailable. Inter Milan now attack almost exclusively down the left, while the solutions on the right have proven insufficient.

“Augusto has failed when deployed on his weaker foot. Luis Henrique has started six consecutive matches (one on the left in the Coppa Italia), but he has only been decisive against Como, with a fine run and an assist for Lautaro. 

The move that led to Orsolini’s 1–1 penalty came from a badly misjudged build-up by Henrique, a willing player but one who does not appear to have significant technical growth margins,” Corriere della Sera writes.

Inter Milan January market in focus

The discussion inevitably turns to the January transfer window. Inter Milan spent €50 million (£43 million) on the Brazilian and on Diouf, who “does appear to have room for improvement”, while Dumfries is not expected back until March. A market intervention now seems necessary.

“The dream of Palestra is golden (€40 million – £34.4 million), while among the more accessible options, Dodô of Fiorentina appears more immediate than Belghali of Verona. 

Not to mention that De Vrij’s discontent could accelerate the pursuit of a left-sided centre-back (Muharemovic of Sassuolo is liked, another expensive shop), given that Bastoni, who is attracting interest from Barcelona, is never given a break,” the article concludes.

To maintain their pace at the top of the table and return to winning direct clashes in a fiery January, something has to change.