Inter star Alessandro Bastoni says the club might have benefited positively from an early Champions League exit.
Bowing out of Europe early might have been a blessing in disguise for Inter Milan, says midfielder Bastoni.
Inter are currently the most in-form side in the Serie A. The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last 10 league games, winning eight of them in that time.
That impressive run of form has seen Inter edge cross-town rivals AC Milan to gain leadership at the top of the Serie A.
As it stands, Inter hold a six-point gap over second place Milan and many have tagged Conte’s men as favorites to win the Scudetto.
However, Bastoni says the Inter players are forbidden to talk about the ‘title’, saying there’s still a long way to go.
“It’s forbidden to talk about the Scudetto” the 21-year-old told La Stampa.
“There’s still a long way to go, and in football, it is easy to fall from grace.”
“Juventus remain credible contenders, their Champions League exit will motivate them. They are our reference, but we want to finish ahead of them.”
For Bastoni, the turning point for Inter was their Champions League exit. At the time, it seemed do disappointing but focusing solely on the Serie A has now given them an advantage over their rivals.
“We had a collective meeting after the Champions League exit in December. It was such a huge blow” he added.
“That was the turning point of the season. We felt more responsibility and Conte transmitted wickedness to us.”
Speaking on why Inter struggled in Europe, Bastoni feels it might be a mentality issue for the Inter players.
“We had tactical issues, but it was a problem of mentality too. We conceded too much, when we sat deep, we managed to win games we wouldn’t win before. We know we can trust each other.”
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Inter Milan
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
