Inzaghi: ‘Inter deserve to celebrate’ top 4 Champions League success

epa11845486 Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi (R) and Prague head coach Lars Friis hug prior the UEFA Champions League league phase match between Sparta Prague and Inter Milan, in Prague, Czechia, 22 January 2025. EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK

Simone Inzaghi insists Inter ‘should celebrate’ their top four Champions League finish, because ‘you just need to see the names of some of the teams’ in the play-offs.

The Nerazzurri knew a point would suffice to secure a top eight finish and direct access to the Round of 16.

They started strong and swept AS Monaco aside 3-0 at San Siro with a Lautaro Martinez hat-trick, helped also by the fact the Ligue 1 team went down to 10 men for a Christian Mawissa last-man foul on Marcus Thuram.

“I am very satisfied and congratulated the lads, because our journey over these eight games has been extraordinary,” Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia.

“We kept seven clean sheets, we only finished outside of the top 3 due to goal difference. We have this consistency and you just need to see the names of some of the teams who failed to make the top eight, so we need to celebrate deservedly achieving this.

“The lads had the right approach, as we knew Monaco had these dangerous counter-attacking players, so we had to be very organised. Even a defeat might’ve seen us qualify, but we tried not to make any calculations and just go for the victory.”

Inzaghi master of Inter squad rotation

While Inzaghi has been known to rotate his squad heavily, he picked his ideal XI this evening, just days ahead of the Derby della Madonnina in Serie A against Milan.

“In the last 12-13 matches, I always tried to alternate. I had left a few players out at Lecce who I knew would come in handy here, such as Barella, Dimarco and Pavard, while for the others I had to make certain choices,” concluded Inzaghi.

“They were all ready, we gave a debut to a youngster late on too and that shows how well the Inter youth academy is working.”

The teenage striker who came on in the final stages was Giacomo De Pieri, making his senior debut.

Going into the Round of 16, Inter are on the side of the bracket meaning they are likely to cross paths with Juventus or Milan in an Italian Derby, should those rivals make it through the play-offs.