Marco Materazzi praises Gennaro Gattuso, but believes Lautaro Martinez and Patrick Cutrone could be decisive in the Milan Derby.
The Derby della Madonnina kicks off on Sunday at 19.30 UK time (18.30 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“Inter struggle to kill games off, but they are almost always able to turn situations around, which means they’ve got character,” Matrix told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Marco Materazzi praises Gennaro Gattuso, but believes Lautaro Martinez and Patrick Cutrone could be decisive in the Milan Derby.
The Derby della Madonnina kicks off on Sunday at 19.30 UK time (18.30 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“Inter struggle to kill games off, but they are almost always able to turn situations around, which means they’ve got character,” Matrix told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I am sure Luciano Spalletti will order a ferocious and aggressive pressing game, so Milan could find problems in the transitions against people like Ivan Perisic, Radja Nainggolan and Mauro Icardi. That could be the tactical key.
“If I were the Coach, I’d always play Perisic. If he can punt the ball forward and chase after it, he’ll kill you. Inter are also strong on set plays not only because there are some really tall players, but also they are able to distribute the spaces in the box very well between them.
“Spalletti has an easier job than Rino Gattuso, because if he turns to the bench, he finds even more quality. Rino has less to work with and has to create more, but so far he has made very few mistakes.
“Gattuso cannot perform miracles, but he knows about football and has been the soul of Milan for almost 20 years. He never got a derby wrong, because that is the game where you have to put everything out there. The derby tells no lies.
“I would celebrate twice as much, maybe even four times, against Juventus and Milan, but I still think the Milan fans would like to see me on the field in the derby, just as Inter fans would love to still be playing against Gattuso.”
It is set to be a battle between the two Argentina international centre-forwards and Materazzi has no doubts.
“Andriy Shevchenko was more decisive than Gonzalo Higuain, because he never got it wrong in a derby. Higuain might be the most complete striker in Serie A right now, but he tends to make very little difference in the big games. We’ll see how he does in his first Milan Derby.
“Mauro Icardi is deadly in the box, but different to Christian Vieri, as I think the Argentine is a little more inventive. The great think about Patrick Cutrone is that every goal he has ever scored was because he went looking for it. He’s the hungriest striker in Serie A.
“Lautaro Martinez is unabashed and therefore the right man for a derby. He can play with Icardi, but only if it’s a 4-4-1-1. Mauro doesn’t want anyone too close to him.
“Radja Nainggolan is the new Dejan Stankovic: steals the ball, starts the counter and scores.”