Inter Milan showcased their dominance by defeating Crvena Zvezda 4-0 in the Champions League, highlighting their strong performance and tactical prowess.
Introduction:
Inter Milan secured a 4-0 victory over Crvena Zvezda in their second Champions League group-stage match of the 2024/25 season. Having drawn only an equivalent of one draw against Manchester City on Matchday 1, Simone Inzaghi’s side played fantastic football on their own turf, moving with an airs of both merciless offense and granite-like defense.
See also: Inter Milan Edges Out Udinese in a Thrilling 3-2 Victory: Serie A
Crvena Zvezda Take the Initiative but Fail to Hold Off Inter
From the onset, Crvena Zvezda had established a defensive approach with five men at the back, looking to strangle Inter’s attack. Inter was disciplined, particularly in defense, but they showed their potency on the counter, beating Inter to the punch at times during the early stages of the game. In contrast, it was apparent right from the word go that Inter was on top of things, putting in a real work rate and dictating a large proportion of possession.
Çalhanoğlu’s Superb Free-Kick Arrives as a Nadir Breaker
Inter have opened up the match with a sensational free-kick from Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Positioned just off to the right of center, Çalhanoğlu curled his effort over the wall of Crvena Zvezda and into the far post, the visiting ‘keeper having absolutely no chance on it. The Turkish midfielder’s marvellous strike has given Inter something of a deserved lead, marking their first goal of the Champions League campaign.
That pinpoint accuracy by Çalhanoğlu proved an invaluable asset for Inter, and that was just what the team needed to give them that added impetus – of course the stunned home faithful were now in ecstasy, the finest goal of the night.
Sommer stays the course
But while Çalhanoğlu’s free-kick was hogging all the limelight, Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer had his go, displaying brilliance in a breathtaking display of composure to control a ball outside the penalty area which was quite unmanageable with his feet. Calmly, he dribbled past Crvena Zvezda’s striker Ndiaye, and that sure display from Sommer pointed further to the dominance and hold in the game on the part of Inter, which merely irked the visitors.
Pavard and Mkhitaryan Close in, But Crvena Zvezda Stays in it
As the game went into the first half of play, Benjamin Pavard once again pulled Inter a little closer with a long-range shot barely kept out by the Crvena Zvezda goal. Henrich Mkhitaryan was always a nuisance for the side of Crvena Zvezda, constantly beating their defenders with intelligent runs and creativity.
The pressure was increasing, but Crvena Zvezda managed to create one or two chances of its own. A fantastic strike by Maksimović called Sommer into action and made the Italian champions forget that the game was still alive and kicking. Inter still took the same into halftime with a very slight lead of 1-0.
Second Half Surge: Taremi and Arnautović Make the Difference
But fresh impetus in the second half, Crvena Zvezda pushed on into the game only to see their hopes quelled by a flurry of Inter goals. Mehdi Taremi did enough by taking it off the bench and winning possession near the penalty area. He proceeded to break down the left channel and then delivered a low pass to Marko Arnautović, who slotted in Inter’s second goal. It was a tranquil end of the game, though Taremi is worthy of recognition for the terrific work in ensuring this chance arrived.
Within minutes, once again, Taremi would prove to be the provider, though this time to Lautaro Martínez. The substitute found space inside the box and coolly pushed it into the far post as Inter took a commanding 3-0 lead. Martínez’s goal happened directly off the energy and creativity that Taremi showed, and it underscored his contribution.
Taremi Seals the win with a Penalty
Taremi ended the evening off on the perfect note as he scored his first for Inter from the penalty spot as they earned a foul inside the box. The former Porto man coolly dispatched the ball to the back of the net, past the goalkeeper, as the game went 4-0 to the Nerazzurri.
With two assists to his name and a goal as well, Taremi was quite undeniably the man of the match as his new club recorded its first Champions League win for the season.
Inter’s Dominance and Tactical Flexibility
A convincing 4-0 victory against Crvena Zvezda merely reflected that Inter is tactically flexible and deep with a squad. Inter made a number of important changes, including the inspirational captain, yet withstood the pressure before and during the game. Though FCalc started to open up the gates with a rather easy free kick from Çalhanoğlu, Taremi played an important role coming on off the bench as did Arnautović for the guarantee of a comfortable win.
Inzaghi is surely going to enjoy this performance, mainly after this almost too difficult draw against Manchester City. Taremi was just in this match and took part by scoring and providing assists to both goals. Therefore, Inter seems to be well-prepared to go ahead and maintain their great run in the Champions League.
Crvena Zvezda’s Brave Struggle Ends in Frustration
Crvena Zvezda was robust and had some great moments to break through Inter’s defense but lacked the quality of the Italian champions. They did so at least in their simple defensive formation and few counter-attacks, which, however was not enough against Inter’s attacking wave in the second half.
The loss leaves Crvena Zvezda vacating the premises in search of their first points in the tournament this season, while Inter was ready to proceed with another round full of confidence.