Albania International Sees 'Many Positive Things' Despite Inter Milan False Start At FIFA Club World Cup
Kristjan Asllani fared well in last night's 1-1 draw between CF Monterrey and Inter Milan in their FIFA Club World Cup opener.
Speaking to Sportitalia via FCInterNews, the Albania international hailed the team's performance at the Rose Bowl.
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It wasn't an ideal touchline debut for new boss Cristian Chivu.
Despite strong pre-match favoritism, Inter couldn't beat the Liga MX giants in their curtain-raising Group E fixture.
Indeed, ex-Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos opened the scoring with a trademark header.
However, Inter leveled the score on the stroke of halftime through Lautaro Martinez.
Though the Nerazzurri dominated proceedings in Pasadena, they couldn't turn the game on its head.
Meanwhile, Asllani deputized for the injured Hakan Calhanoglu and played a significant role in the equalizer.
His inch-perfect set-piece delivery cracked Monterrey's defense wide open before Carlos Augusto set El Toro up on a platter.
Kristjan Asllani Hails Inter Milan Performance vs Monterrey
LECCE, ITALY – JANUARY 26: Kristjan Asllani of Internazionale in action during the Serie A match between Lecce and FC Internazionale at Stadio Via del Mare on January 26, 2025 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by)
Inter conceded from the only shot on target.
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However, a lack of composure in front of goal saw them waste numerous presentable chances on either side of halftime.
Despite a gut-wrenching result, Asllani insists there were 'positives' in Chivu's first game in charge.
'There were a lot of positive things, unfortunately, we conceded a goal from a set piece,' he claimed. 'We have to improve, but there were many positive aspects.
'It's a shame about the result because we really wanted to win, now we focus on the next match.
'Chivu? There's not much difference, we played with the same formation as in recent years.
'He asks us for more pressing and we did well with that. Unfortunately, as I said, we conceded from a set piece.
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'We had only practiced them for a day; we need to improve and we'll keep working on that. The goal is not to concede.
'Physically, we're in good shape, maybe there's a bit of mental fatigue, but that shouldn't affect us.
'We've been with our national teams -some played, some didn't – but we need to work harder because we want to get through the group.
'We can also play with a 3-4-2-1 – we did it last year too – but that shouldn't change what we want, which is to win,' he continued.
'It was definitely hot, but it was the same for the other team.
'We have to adapt to what the coach asks of us, improve our pressing, and keep playing almost man-to-man. With time, we'll get better.'
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