Inter Milan draws again: Red alert, Chivu!

The defeat in the Milan derby half a month ago seems to have hit Inter hard, as they have drawn consecutively against Atalanta and, early this morning, Fiorentina, a team they easily beat 3-0 in the first leg. The risk of losing the Scudetto has reappeared, and this time it's truly worrisome.

At the Fiorentina stadium, Inter scored in the 40th minute with a header from young striker Pio Esposito, but allowed another young star of Italian football, Cher Ndour, to equalize 1-1 in the 77th minute. This is Inter's third consecutive match without a win in Serie A (one loss, three draws).

Warning signs

On the league table after 30 rounds, Inter still firmly holds the top spot with a 6-point lead over Milan and a 7-point lead over Napoli, the teams behind them. However, a team that had just won eight consecutive matches before this, now earning only 2 points in the last three matches, is clearly not normal. Inter is revealing significant issues, not limited to just a few key players.

First, it must be acknowledged that the absence due to injury of captain Lautaro Martinez is a huge loss. Inter's attack has nearly stalled, averaging only one goal per match in the seven games without him. In Florence, only Pio Esposito fought alone, while Marcus Thuram and later Yoan Bonny were almost invisible. Inter led from the 40th minute, but were powerless for over 90 minutes afterward. They didn't create enough pressure, didn't generate opportunities, had plenty of possession but fewer shots and lower quality compared to Fiorentina, a team fighting to stay in the league. Lautaro's return from injury, hoped for as early as the next round, will be crucial for Inter.

Next, fatigue is clearly evident in players who have been overworked recently. Alessandro Bastoni faces the possibility of being dropped from the Italian national team due to fitness below requirements; Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella, and Piotr Zielinski are nearly exhausted. In the draw against Fiorentina, Barella assisted the opening goal, but also made the mistake leading to the equalizer when he lacked the energy to clear the ball further. The fear is this: All those players, plus Hakan Calhanoglu (just back from injury), will continue to be overused in the upcoming 2026 World Cup playoff days. They are irreplaceable pillars for the national teams of Italy, Poland, and Turkey. No one knows how they will return to Inter after seven more days.

But the most dangerous signal is that the morale of coach Cristian Chivu and his team seems to have been severely shaken by the Champions League elimination and the subsequent derby defeat against Milan. Chivu has begun to show confusion amid these setbacks, and many Inter players appear to be losing their winning spirit. When physical fitness declines, a drop in morale easily leads to missteps.

Is the race reopening?

A 6-point lead over the second-place team is still significant, and Inter will only lose the Scudetto if they throw it away themselves. The problem is that they might be doing exactly that with their recent poor form. In the previous round, Inter benefited from Milan's loss to Lazio, but luck doesn't last forever. When opponents stumble and the gap shrinks from 10 points to 6 in just three rounds, the remaining 6-point lead is not safe, as there are still 8 rounds left in the season.

Last season, the shocking 3-0 loss at Fiorentina was a serious stumble that led to Inter losing the Scudetto to Napoli. Could the draw early this morning once again lead to disaster? It's entirely possible, because Fiorentina was considered the easiest opponent for Inter in a crucial series of five matches against Milan, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Roma, and Como, yet they still didn't win. Chivu's team has dropped points in three matches and faces a significant risk of continuing to drop points against Roma and Como, both fighting hard for Champions League spots. These opponents not only have extremely high determination but also promise to have fitter players, as they lose fewer key players for this FIFA Days period.

The fact that Napoli and Milan face each directly in the next round helps relieve pressure on Inter from at least one rival in the Scudetto race, but whichever team wins will become a direct threat. There are still 8 rounds left in the season, anything can happen.

Red alert, Inter!