5 things learned from Chivu’s Inter debut at 2025 Club World Cup

Cristian Chivu collected a 1-1 draw against Mexican side Monterrey in his debut as Inter’s coach, and Italian media highlight five things learned from the Nerazzurri’s first game in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Lautaro Martinez replied to Sergio Ramos to give Inter a 1-1 draw against Monterrey in their 2025 Club World Cup debut on Tuesday.

It was Chivu’s first game in charge for the Nerazzurri, and Gazzetta highlighted what worked well and what the Nerazzurri must improve under their new coach.

Exhausted

The players are far from their best shape, as Chivu said in his post-match press conference.

Zonal marking

Chivu used zonal marking on defensive set pieces, even if the coach had requested man-marking solely for Sergio Ramos. The team’s high press, especially in the second half, exposed an exhausted Inter defence to Monterrey’s counter-attacks.

Attack

Lautaro Martinez and Sebastiano Esposito started the game, but Marcus Thuram replaced the Italian in the second half. Inter are expected to sign at least one new striker following the departures of Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic, and the Monterrey match confirmed that attacking reinforcements are indeed much-needed.

New signings

Luis Henrique brought a touch of unpredictability, showing ability in one-on-one and a proactive attitude. It was a better debut than that of Petar Sucic, who was also involved in the second half, but struggled in a three-man midfield, a substantial tactical change from the two-man midfield system to which he’s more accustomed.

Tactical change

Inter started with a three-man defence, but switched to a four-defender system for the final 30 minutes. Henrikh Mkhitaryan played as an attacking midfielder for a few minutes, behind Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, before Lautaro dropped down to join Nicola Zalewski to support the sole striker Thuram.