The San Siro came to life on Sunday night with four goals in the final 11 minutes in Inter Milan's 2-2 draw against Napoli. Jose Callejon netted either side of Fredy Guarin's equaliser and Hernanes' strike secured a point late on. Here's five things we learned ...
A good balance of tactics and intensity
Walter Mazzarri has consistently stayed faithful to his interpretation of a 3-5-2 system this season. His failure to change when games have been drifting away from Inter, however, has often led to criticism. The play has seemed laboured at times and alarming gaps have appeared between the midfield and the front players. Against Napoli's 4-2-3-1, it became evident that if the Nerazzurri did not play with a high intensity, then the full backs would come under a great deal of pressure and could easily be pushed deep to become a back five.
Inter approached the game in a very organised manner and the high energy levels left Napoli on the back foot for much of the first half. The team did look tired toward the end but still had enough fight in them to claw back even after the game looked out of sight.
The wing-backs got the balance right
Ever since Mazzarri decided to play his variation of the 3-5-2 system, his wing-backs have come under criticism. More often than not they have moved too far up the field and left the back three exposed. Other times they have played too deep and offered nothing offensively, meaning they invite a great deal of pressure on to the team. Jonathan, Yuto Nagatomo and Danilo D'Ambrosio (to a lesser extent) have also struggled to produce a final ball into the box and given Mauro Icardi and Dani Osvaldo little service.
Against Napoli, both Dodo and Joel Obi showed a dynamism that had been lacking. Ibrahima Mbaye is a talented player but looked a little nervous when he came on, yet still showed potential. The final ball was good from both and the cohesion between the two just went to show how crucial good wing-backs are in playing this system.
The disconnect in attack
While the wing backs did get things right, the players in the middle of the pitch struggled for long periods. Often it looked like Hernanes and Mateo Kovacic had problems in supplying Rodrigo Palacio and Icardi up front.
Mazzarri has not shown he has a plan for how these players can link up so far this season. Once they receive the ball, they seem to rely on their individual ability rather than having a plan. It is true that some coaches like Arsene Wenger allow their players to have intellectual freedom on the pitch but this felt more like "let's get it to the final third and then make something up."
Defensive frailties still apparent
Inter have conceded nine league goals in their last three games and the two against Napoli highlighted some communication issues. For the first half, the back three looked solid. However, Nemanja Vidic has struggled and seems disconnected from the rest of the defence. This saw him become more nervous as the game went on and his positioning also went awry at times.
Vidic was responsible for a misjudged flick on a header that led to Napoli's first goal and he once again showed his vulnerability. Andrea Ranocchia was also found wanting for Napoli's second goal as all of Inter's back three allowed Callejon in again.
The team is still playing for Mazzarri
Fans of the Nerazzurri would have been forgiven for thinking the team had given up playing for their coach this season. Drab performances against Torino, Palermo, Cagliari and Fiorentina suggested the squad had little interest in fighting for Mazzarri. Against Fiorentina, the Tuscan coach was animated as normal on the touchline but few of the players seemed to notice his wild gesticulations.
The pressure on the coach is clear. This time, however, the players responded and their energy and intensity could not have been achieved if they had lost faith in the tactician. This is just as well, as he still has the backing of the club president and seems to be going nowhere soon.