Inter’s defense is on high alert in anticipation of their Champions League opening match against Manchester City, as they will be facing Erling Haaland. Center back Stefan de Vrij stated that to neutralize Manchester City star Erling Haaland in the Champions League game, Inter must defend as a team.
In the lead-up to their eagerly awaited Champions League debut, Inter defender Stefan de Vrij has revealed details about his team’s strategy for stopping Erling Haaland, the prolific striker for Manchester City.
De Vrij stressed that Manchester City’s attack cannot be boiled down to a single player in his interview with DAZN, although he accepted the challenge Haaland posed.
Instead, the Dutch defender gave an explanation of how Inter would stop the prolific striker, saying, “You have to remember that Manchester City is more than just Haaland and that you have to work as a team to limit him.”
“He is in good shape and scored a lot this season, but we have to defend as a team.”
In just four Premier League games this season, Haaland has already scored nine goals. It looks like he’s setting the stage for an incredible season, giving Inter, the opponents of Inter in the Champions League opener, a lot of anxiety.
De Vrij acknowledged that Inter needs to grow from its mistakes after the disappointing draw against Monza, saying, “At times we were too slow moving the ball around and could have been sharper in the final pass.”
“If you break the deadlock against these teams, it all gets easier, but we struggled to find that opening.”
Notwithstanding the Monza outcome, De Vrij is optimistic about the upcoming tough matches against Manchester City and city rivals AC Milan, saying that there are “no alarm bells.”
The Italian champions will play Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday. The following Sunday, they will play Milan in the Serie A “Derby della Madonnina.”
Image credit: @ManCity via X.
[…] of them. Despite having nine goals in his first four Premier League games of the season, Haaland was unable to penetrate Inter’s resolute defense because he was well confined and frequently complained to the referee about how he was being […]