A debut against his own brother
The story of the night at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo was personal as much as tactical. Aleksandar Stankovic was set to make his [1] against Venezia, lining up as one of three central midfielders under Cristian Chivu. In the opposite goal stood his older brother Filip, and it was the first time the two had faced each other as professionals.
Chivu explained his selection in a [2], giving Stankovic his full debut and keeping Marcus Thuram in the XI with no rest. Thuram’s place matters because of who was missing further forward. The coach had to build his side around the players who were available, and the decision to trust a debutant in midfield showed how thin the options had become.
Stankovic’s start was not a gamble made in isolation. A three-man midfield gives a first-time starter protection from teammates either side of him, and Chivu’s choice suggests he was comfortable asking a young player to handle a bottom-of-the-table opponent in an awkward away fixture.
The injury list Chivu had to work around
Inter went to Venezia without five players. According to the [3], Lautaro Martínez (hamstring) and Luis Henrique (adductor) are both unavailable until after the international break. John Stones is also missing with a hamstring problem. Benjamin Pavard and Curtis Jones are ruled out too, so the absences span defence, midfield and attack.
There was a further doubt over Francesco Pio Esposito, who [2] after a fever and a family issue. His fitness was listed as doubtful, which left Chivu with little cover up front behind Thuram.
The absence of Lautaro is the most significant. As captain and first-choice striker, his hamstring injury forces changes in how Inter attack. That Inter still won shows the depth of the squad, but the list is long enough to keep Chivu’s selection choices under scrutiny in the coming days.
How the night finished
The result was a 2-0 win, which extended Inter’s strong run. Venezia, [4], had their own problems: Correia, Šverko, Adorante and Franjić were all unavailable, and Davide Nicola was in the dugout after taking charge once the squad list had been compiled.
The win followed a 2-1 home victory over Fiorentina on 25 October, a 1-0 Champions League win against Shakhtar Donetsk on 21 October and a 3-1 win at Bologna on 17 October. The only recent defeat came in the Champions League, a 3-4 home loss to Club Brugge on 13 October. In Serie A, Inter have not lost.
Hernan Crespo, in an interview, called Inter the best-equipped side to win the league again, and the results are consistent with that view. Winning with a debutant in midfield and a depleted attack is the kind of evidence that backs up a title-contender label, even against weak opposition.
What it means
Inter top Serie A with 25 points from 9 games, with eight wins, one draw and no defeats, and a goal record of 25 scored and 10 conceded. The [4] puts them four points clear of Milan after eight matches, with both sides unbeaten at that stage.
The form line is five wins in the last six matches across competitions, with the one blemish coming in Europe. That suggests a team whose league results are stable even when the squad is stretched. Stankovic’s debut adds a possible new option in midfield, though one match is a small sample.
The next question is the derby. Inter visit Milan on 31 October in Serie A. Milan coach Ruben Amorim has said his team’s [5] at San Siro rather than the derby, and his side are missing several players. Inter’s own injury list, with Lautaro and Luis Henrique out until after the international break, will shape how Chivu lines up. The site’s forecast for the match locks 24 hours before kick-off.
Sources
- Football Italia: Stankovic brothers face off for first time as Dejan watches Aleksandar’s first Inter start football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Chivu explains Inter decisions against Venezia: ‘Must not under-estimate anyone’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Serie A official line-ups: Venezia vs. Inter football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Crespo: ‘Inter are a battleship, nobody in Italy can sink them, Milan improved considerably’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Amorim: ‘Not thinking about Inter, I want Cisse joy and talent’ football-italia.net ↩
