Mehdi Taremi is significantly feeling the pressure of playing for Inter, and San Siro stadium might be too challenging for him. Last night’s game provided further evidence supporting this idea, which has become increasingly clear with each performance.
Yesterday seemed like it could be Taremi’s night. Several factors were in his favor: the team was leading from the first leg, the return match was at home, and Feyenoord had to open up their defense to try and recover from a two-goal deficit.
However, none of this helped Taremi enjoy the game or find the peace of mind needed to relieve the invisible but heavy pressure. The former Porto player delivered another disappointing performance in a season far below expectations. Taremi himself had previously tried to explain these performances before a match, attributing them to a persistent physical condition that has troubled him since the beginning of the season. He seems to realize that his contributions so far are not enough to warrant a place at Inter.
CHANGING HIERARCHY – Simone Inzaghi has also changed his attacking hierarchy in recent weeks. For most of the season, Taremi was considered the third-choice striker, behind Lautaro and Thuram. However, this hierarchy has shifted significantly. Arnautovic has recently proven to be much more effective than his teammate, both when starting and as a substitute. Currently, the Austrian player is the first alternative off the bench, and in some instances, even Correa has been preferred over Taremi. There is clearly an issue, and ignoring it won’t solve it, but at this point in the season, Inzaghi is focused on making pragmatic choices.
FUTURE MANAGEMENT – Inter’s upcoming schedule is packed, starting with a crucial league match against Atalanta in Bergamo on Sunday night. This will be followed by an international break, and then matches against Udinese at home and the Coppa Italia semi-final against Milan. Following these are a league game against Parma and a Champions League match against Bayern Munich.
In these five games, squad rotation will be necessary to manage the energy of the two starting forwards, who are expected to start against Atalanta. It’s also anticipated that the Thuram-Lautaro partnership will start against Udinese after the break, especially if France allows Thuram to return to Appiano early. For the Coppa Italia derby against Milan, Inzaghi might consider Taremi again, while Correa will almost certainly get a chance against Parma before the Champions League game. The congested schedule offers everyone an opportunity to redeem themselves, but Taremi’s recent performances have caused him to lose the trust he enjoyed at the beginning of the season.