Capello: Inter’s midfield is strong, PSG lacking a superstar like Calhanoglu

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fabio Capello, the well-respected football coach, has offered some insightful analyses on Inter Milan’s recent performances against well-established European sides.

Capello particularly highlighted the current dominance of Inter’s midfield. He said, “And that’s the key to this great start to the season. The great strength of Inter Milan lies in midfield, where there’s the right mix of quality, interdiction, vision of the game and movement.”

The former England and Real Madrid manager hailed Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for their tactical intelligence and skills. He also praised Davide Frattesi as an excellent alternative who leaves a mark whenever he plays. According to Capello, these players’ ability to score or assist and aid the team in both attack and defence has helped Inter create a dynamic midfield of high quality, further boosted by their five-at-the-back setup.

Capello went on to single out Calhanoglu, asserting, “No one in Italy has a point of reference like Calhanoglu.” He also shed light on the lack of players worldwide talented enough to exploit spaces, support strikers, and provide balance to the team while also protecting the defence.

Turning his attention to Manchester City, Capello notes that the team’s recent loss to Aston Villa followed Rodri’s absence, requiring two defenders to control the midfield. In this regard, Capello sees John Stones as merely an average solution. Despite praising Bernardo Silva and insisting that City possesses strong players, he stressed that there aren’t many players like Rodri or Kevin De Bruyne in the world.

Capello also expressed mixed feelings about Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) midfield. While acknowledging the team’s good level of quality and dynamism, he believes there is no standout player on par with Calhanoglu, Rodri, De Bruyne or Jude Bellingham. Further, he asserted that PSG still relies heavily on Kylian Mbappe, reflecting the Spanish style preferred by their manager.

Finally, speaking about Bayern Munich, Capello remarked that German football always differs from others. While acknowledging Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka for bringing dynamism and physicality to the midfield, he conveyed that Bayern’s midfield relies on the creativity of their attacking midfielders to make a difference. Jamel Musiala, in particular, has caught Capello’s eye.