The Croatian adapts to the new era of players capable of beating their man and creating chances. This is how Inter moves on from four years of beautiful but outdated football.
The real novelty isn`t Pio scoring goals, but Sucic successfully dribbling past opponents and providing quality finishing touches. This is a type of player Inter was missing, one that Inzaghi struggled to incorporate. Simone deserves credit for four years of excellent football and perfectly executed tactical lines. However, over time, those tactics have become clogged, much like Guardiola`s City. The antidote of a low block against positional attacks has become increasingly effective, as Inter demonstrated in the Istanbul final. Keeping Foden and Grealish wide to then find spaces between the lines was no longer sufficient, because those spaces had closed up.
Teams needed `can openers` – skillful players, especially on the wings, capable of creating openings with dribbles or sharp turns. Yamal ushered in a new era. Pep quickly acquired Doku, who unlocked Juventus, and now Echeverri (2006). Vinicius`s Real Madrid paid 45 million for Mastantuono (2007). Not satisfied with the talent they already possess, Barcelona dreams of Nico Williams and is negotiating for the young Swede Roony Bardghji (2005). It`s a crazy race for `can openers`. In Italy too. Inter, challenged in Monaco by Doué and Kvara, wants to regain technical talent (Sucic, Carboni, and others) to evolve from the monotonous, unproductive horizontal passing of recent times. The new Juve is built around the genius of Yildiz, brilliant in the USA tour. Gasp is holding onto Dybala. Conte demands top-level `can openers` (Ndoye, Lookman, Lang…) in the areas not occupied by Kvara. Milan`s success will depend on Allegri`s ability to reawaken Leao, potentially the best defense-unlocker in the league. This collective rush for technical talent promises beautiful football.
