The competition is intensifying in Serie A.
Napoli top the table with 50 points after 21 matches, just three points ahead of Inter Milan, who have 47 points and played one less match.
Atalanta and Lazio follow them, with 43 and 39 points in third and fourth place, respectively.
Napoli have overcome their competitors on the defensive side, conceding just 14 goals in 21 matches, while Inter Milan have the best attack, scoring 51 goals despite playing one less match.
When the competition is intense, fine margins can be crucial in determining the title winner.
One such margin is set-pieces.
At the time of writing, Inter Milan dominates nearly all aspects of set-pieces in Serie A, with the most goals (9), the most shots (90), and the highest xG from set plays (8.61).
In this tactical analysis, we will focus on how Simone Inzaghi‘s team, with coach Ferruccio Cerasaros set-piece expertise, is proving excellent at generating creative and varied ideas.
We will also show the tactics they used to exploit their talented set-piece specialists, such as Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Federico Dimarco.
Two Takers & Denzel Dumfries Starting Position
The most significant thing Inter have is, a lot of the time, the use of two takers, and they have so many uses of this trick.
The first one makes it difficult for the opponents zonal line to expect the out-swinging cross, targeting Denzel Dumfries, who starts near the edge of the box.
Lets watch the video first and then explain it in detail.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) January 21, 2025
In the photo below, Lazio defend with five zonal defenders (green), a rebound defender near the edge of the box (yellow), a short-option defender (pink), and an additional short-option defender (orange) to help in case the ball is played shortly.
The remaining two are man markers.
As shown below, Inter have two takers, along with six players to attack the box, with Dumfries starting late, and two rebound defenders (pink).
The second taker joins them to form the trio of rebound defenders.
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