GdS: The ‘pincers’ and balancer Saelemaekers – Chivu and Allegri’s tactical plans for the derby
Cristian Chivu and Massimiliano Allegri have been preparing their tactical plans for Sunday night’s derby over the past few days.
Both Inter and Milan should take to the field with a 3-5-2 formation. However, as we analysed in a feature on Friday, there is as much that divides the two sides of the city in the way they use the system than what unites them.
Chivu and Allegri’s plans
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, Chivu is planning ‘two pincers against the sprinters’ tonight. The Romanian has drawn up a preventive control for Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic’s counter-attacks.
On the right side of the defence, Manuel Akanji will receive assistance from Carlos Augusto, while on the other side, Federico Dimarco will sacrifice himself to help Alessandro Bastoni in duels. This certainly isn’t a guarantee of success, but it should stop too many 1v1s happening.
Without Denzel Dumfries on the right, Milan expect Dimarco to have even more room to run forward on the left, with Bastoni providing support. This is why Allegri will ask Saelemaekers to play a sacrificial game.
The Belgian will need to attack to push the Nerazzurri wing-back backwards, while also keeping him in check when not in possession. Fikayo Tomori and Youssouf Fofana will help him, as the right-sided centre-back and central midfielder respectively.
