Inter switched from man-marking to a mixed system in the summer. The change has made them more vulnerable to near-post runs.
The numbers are stark. Inter have conceded nine league goals this season, and four of them have come from set pieces. That is close to half of everything they have let in, in a season where their open-play defending has been as solid as any in Serie A.
The numbers
| Season | Set-piece goals conceded | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 7 | 38 |
| 2025-26 | 6 | 38 |
| 2026-27 | 4 | 9 |
Over the previous two full seasons, Inter conceded seven and six goals from set pieces across 38 games. They have already reached four after nine rounds this time. At that rate they would finish the season well into double figures, far above the totals of the previous two seasons.
The goals have also been costly. Inter are second in the table with 20 points, two behind leaders Napoli and level with AC Milan. Without the set-piece goals they have conceded, they could realistically be top.
What the footage shows
We went through each of the four goals and the dangerous chances Inter allowed from corners and wide free kicks. A clear pattern stands out. Most of the trouble starts at the near post, where opponents have found it easy to win the first contact.
In a mixed system, some players defend zones while others follow individual opponents. The idea is to combine the strengths of both approaches: the zonal players attack the ball, while the man-markers stop the most dangerous headers. When it works, it is very effective. When the roles are not perfectly clear, gaps appear.
Three recurring problems
- The near-post zone is covered by only one player, who can be blocked or outnumbered.
- Opponents run across the man-markers, creating small blocks that open space in front of the goalkeeper.
- Second balls at the edge of the box are not always picked up, which leads to repeat attacks.
The first point is the most important. Teams that have scored against Inter from corners have sent two runners towards the near post at the same moment. With only one Inter player in that zone, one of the attackers usually wins the header or flicks the ball on towards the far post.
The second problem is more subtle. Opponents have used decoy runs to drag Inter’s man-markers away from their zones, and the defenders have sometimes been slow to pass on their responsibilities to a team-mate.
The third issue is about what happens after the first ball. When Inter clear a corner, the ball often drops around the edge of the area, and opponents have been quicker to react. That gives them a second chance to put the ball back into the box while Inter’s defenders are still moving out, which is when marking tends to break down.
None of these problems is unusual on its own. What makes Inter vulnerable is that all three have appeared in the same games, and opponents have clearly studied them.
Why the change was made
The switch was not a random decision. Pure man-marking leaves a team exposed to well-drilled runs and screens, and it can be hard to manage when the opponent puts several tall players in the box. A mixed system is meant to protect the most important areas with fixed bodies, regardless of who the attackers are.
Many top European teams use some version of it, and Inter’s staff believed it would reduce the number of free headers they allowed. In open play the defence has looked well organised, which suggests the problem is specific to dead-ball situations rather than a sign of wider issues.
The fix
The fix is not complicated: one more player on the near post. Expect to see it soon.
Adding a second zonal defender at the near post would remove the main source of danger without changing the whole system. The cost is one less player available to mark individually, but most teams that have adopted this tweak have found the trade-off worthwhile.
The coaching staff could also clarify the roles of the man-markers so they stay with their runners rather than switching. Small adjustments of this kind are usually worked on in training over a few days, and the effect can be seen quickly on the pitch.
With Inter only two points off the top and the title race tight, there is little room for more cheap goals. How they defend the next few corners will show whether the work on the training ground has made a difference.
