"The Derby della Madonnina could well be won off the bench, and if that were the case then it is far more likely to be in Inter's favour. As Corriere dello Sport (via PressReader) write this morning, when Cristian Chivu stands in the dugout on Sunday evening, he'll have a treasure chest to guard. The haul is already impressive, considering we're not even at the halfway point of the season: six league goals from his substitutes so far. Bonny was the latest, with the game-winning goal against Lazio, but he's also the one who's provided the most: four in total."
"To find the 'treasure', the Romanian coach didn't need a map, he simply followed his instincts and pressed the right buttons. Despite his limited experience as a first-team coach, he naturally navigated the pitfalls of a summer that brought with it many challenges and few certainties. Chivu worked hard, especially on the minds of the players, to build a solid foundation from which to build. He also extended it to the entire group, not just the core of the squad, and that is why the substitutes believe they can be decisive."
"The importance of these resources is also evident when compared to their cousins: compared to the Nerazzurri's substitutes, the Rossoneri's have so far provided Max Allegri with half as many goals in Serie A, just three. Zachary Athekame, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Samuele Ricci are the players who have netted off the bench for Milan. The comparison among the reserve forwards is particularly merciless: five goals for Bonny and Esposito, zero for Nkunku and Gimenez. Allegri obviously has fewer resources at his disposal."
Inter's substitutes have combined for six Serie A goals so far, with Bonny contributing four, Esposito scoring and Piotr Zielinski adding a notable strike. Cristian Chivu has cultivated confidence across the entire squad and prepared his bench to be decisive when called upon. Milan's substitutes have produced only three goals, scored by Zachary Athekame, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Samuele Ricci. The reserve-forward comparison is stark: Bonny and Esposito have five goals between them while Nkunku and Gimenez have none. The difference in bench productivity leaves Allegri with fewer in-game scoring options.
Read at SempreMilan
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