Inter will know they’ve been in a game

Someone asked me a few weeks ago if this was a must-win game.  Clearly it’s not, the cup games are must-win, as is the coming league game against Aberdeen, but tomorrow night is an important weathervane, indicating if the club is on the road to recovery.

Since that great high against Barcelona, we have faced Italian opposition twice, both in 2013, losing home games 0-3 to Juventus and Milan.  You can trace the decline in European performances through a subsequent Champions League group stage which concluded with five defeats, and last summer’s abject qualification campaign.

Indications are we are a better team now than we were in August, or even when qualifying from our Europa League group, but there is still an almighty task ahead tomorrow night.  I suspect none of this recent history will affect Ronny and his players.  The manager has told the players they can win.  Most of them are playing like they have a point to prove, all of them are looking forward to the challenge.

Inter will know they’ve been in a game.