Inter Milan is overwhelmed with worries.

Milan's loss to Lazio and inability to reduce the gap to 5 points truly helped Inter shed a thousand-pound burden. Otherwise, they could face major trouble due to internal instability.

Compared to last week, the pressure on Inter has significantly decreased. An 8-point gap with 9 rounds left in the season is clearly a much greater advantage than a 7-point gap with 10 rounds left. However, the issue is that Inter needs to maintain initiative rather than waiting for opponents to shoot themselves in the foot.

Waiting for Lautaro like "waiting for mother to return from the market"

Securing only 1 point in the last 2 matches shows that Inter cannot be complacent, as the team itself faces major challenges at this decisive stage. Most notably, there is a decline in the attacking line due to the absence of captain Lautaro Martinez, who has been sidelined for a month due to injury but still leads Serie A's scoring list this season with 14 goals.

Lautaro's influence on Inter's gameplay and scoring ability is immense. In 2026 alone, in 13 matches featuring the Argentine striker, Inter won 10 matches (77%) and scored 31 goals, averaging 2.4 goals per match. Excluding Lautaro's 5 goals during this period, Inter still scored 26 goals, averaging 2 goals per match. Conversely, in the 6 matches without him since his injury in the away match against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League on February 17, Inter only won 2 matches (33%) and scored exactly 6 goals, averaging 1 goal per match. This means scoring efficiency halved and the win rate dropped by nearly 60%.

The most disappointing is Marcus Thuram. With experience and composure far superior to young teammates Francesco Pio Esposito and Yoan-Ange Bonny, Thuram should have stepped up to lead Inter's attack in Lautaro's absence, but the French striker performed poorly. He scored only 1 goal in Inter's last 15 matches, has not scored since February 8, and recently missed a golden opportunity facing the goalkeeper in the draw against Atalanta. Only Esposito proved reliable, though this young talent showed he is still too inexperienced in the Milan derby.

Inter now needs Lautaro back more than anything. Beyond goals and boosting the attack's threat, "El Toro" is also a spiritual leader, energizing his teammates. Positive signals indicate he could return in the match against Fiorentina this weekend. Even if his role is likely limited to the bench, this will be a significant morale boost for Inter.

Concerns in the midfield.

In the last 7 matches across all competitions, Inter lost 3 matches. They also recently had 3 consecutive matches without a win, something that hadn't happened since the end of last season. Besides the attack's decline due to Lautaro's absence, the midfield's lack of strength is also considered a cause. The incredible form of Federico Dimarco, who scored 3 goals and provided 8 assists in just the last two months, diverted attention from the inefficiency of other midfielders. When Dimarco is absent or isolated, Inter's dependence on this player is exposed. In 5 matches without Dimarco or when he didn't shine, Inter scored only 3 goals and didn't win any match.

Part of the reason is also the absence of conductor Hakan Calhanoglu, who has played only about 120 minutes since January 14 due to injury. Like Lautaro, Hakan plays a crucial role both professionally and in spirit and match experience. Other midfielders have declined, especially Nicolo Barella. Piotr Zielinski hasn't scored or assisted since February 14, Petar Sucic hasn't scored or assisted in Serie A since November 2025, Andy Diouf remains an unknown, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the midfielder in best form, recently suffered a serious hamstring injury in the draw against Atalanta. If the Armenian veteran is sidelined long-term and Calhanoglu doesn't return soon or regain form quickly, Chivu will surely have headaches over Inter's midfield.

And don't forget that Chivu's team still plays every week with the perception that referees are against them, a psychological pressure that will persist until the final seconds of matches and is not easy to overcome.