Two Black and White Squads Highlight Inter Milan’s Resilience: A Grit Only Matched by One Team in Europe's Top Five Leagues

Inter Milan recently secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Udinese, keeping alive their hopes of clinching the title in the upcoming Derby match. Among the myriad of post-match analyses, Guaro’s succinct yet striking commentary stands out: "Is Inter showing signs of fatigue? Yes. Has Inter been conquered? No." Data agencies have chronicled numerous records for Inter, such as having three players with double-digit league goals for the first time since the 2006-07 season, and achieving a club-record 82 points after 31 rounds, a feat not seen in Serie A since Juventus in the 2018-19 season.

One record in particular deserves emphasis: this season, Inter has yet to lose a match in which they conceded the first goal. They are one of only two teams across Europe’s top five leagues to maintain such resilience. Despite their occasional imperfections, such as squandering leads, Inter's ability to bounce back from a deficit is commendable. For instance, in the Coppa Italia against Bologna and the Champions League against Atletico Madrid, Inter took the lead but eventually lost both matches, which eliminated them from these competitions and denied their reserve players more playing time. However, in league and Champions League matches where Inter fell behind, they have shown remarkable determination.

After 31 league rounds, Inter scored first in 29 matches, resulting in 25 wins, 3 draws, and only 1 loss—against Sassuolo, where they were surprisingly overturned. Matches against Bologna, Genoa, and Napoli also saw Inter's lead equalized, resulting in dropped points. Only twice this season have opponents scored first against Inter. Both times, these opponents were clad in black and white. In Round 13, Juventus took the lead with a goal from Vlahovic in the 27th minute, but Inter managed a 1-1 draw away. The second instance was the recent match against Udinese, where Inter achieved a thrilling comeback.

Inter’s resilience extends beyond Serie A. In the Champions League, despite trailing against Real Sociedad and Benfica, Inter managed to equalize both times. Before this recent match, Inter had only managed to draw when coming from behind, always falling short of a full comeback. This victory, where Inter turned the game around, fills a notable gap in their record.

Looking across Europe’s top leagues, only Inter and Bayer Leverkusen have yet to lose a match after conceding the first goal. In the Premier League, Liverpool and Manchester City are renowned for their comebacks, with Liverpool winning 6 and drawing 5 of the 13 matches where they conceded first, though they lost 2. Manchester City has won 6, drawn 2, and lost 3 out of 11 such matches. Other teams have more losses in similar situations. In La Liga, Real Madrid won 6 and drew 2 out of 9 matches after conceding first but still lost once. Barcelona won 3, drew 3, and lost 2 out of 8. In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain has the least losses after conceding first, with 1 win, 3 draws, and 1 loss out of 5 matches.

The distinction of not losing a match after conceding first highlights Inter Milan's extraordinary resilience. Comparing to last season, when Inter scored first in 24 league matches and had a record of 19 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses, the improvement is significant. Last season, when opponents scored first, Inter lost 9 out of 13 matches—a poor record among Europe’s elite clubs. This season, however, the number of matches where Inter conceded first has drastically reduced, and their responses to falling behind have matured significantly.

This progress is a testament to both head coach Simone Inzaghi and the management. Many instances of falling behind were salvaged by the contributions of substitute players. For example, Davide Frattesi's assist in the draw against Real Sociedad, his goal in the "comeback" match against Benfica, and his crucial strike to secure 3 points against Udinese illustrate how new signings with big-match temperament have bolstered the squad’s depth and adaptability.

As Italian media put it, this kind of resilience—allowing the opposition to lead but not to win—can also be termed a "championship mentality." This season, Inter Milan's tenacity in overcoming deficits, alongside their strategic acquisitions and tactical maturity, marks them as one of Europe’s most formidable teams. While the black-and-white clad opponents, Juventus and Udinese, highlighted Inter's ability to rebound, it is the broader picture of consistent resilience and strategic depth that paints Inter Milan as true contenders, showcasing a grit only matched by Bayer Leverkusen across Europe's top five leagues.