Last Sunday, Inter Milan did not break the deadlock with Sampdoria until over 60 minutes into the match, with both goals coming in the final 30 minutes, highlighting a recurring pattern for the team this season: making late comebacks. Of their 49 league goals, 27 (55%) were scored in the final half-hour of matches. During Benitez's tenure, there were 12 such goals, while Leo contributed 15 in just two months after taking over. Positively speaking, this reflects unwavering determination; negatively, it could be attributed to the weaker opposition. Didn't they lose to Bayern Munich because of conceding in stoppage time and being unable to recover?
Of the 9 goals scored in the final stages, 7 came from forwards. Robinho has proven to be the top substitute marksman with 4 goals, followed by Pato with 2, and Inzaghi with 1. Two goals came from midfielders, one each from Bojan and young player Strasser. If we exclude the goals scored by substitutes, Napoli would lead with 52 points, followed by Milan with 51. Substitutes are also crucial as part of the team, whether starting or coming off the bench. Allegri differs from his revered figure Capello in this aspect; Capello firmly believed in sticking with his first-choice lineup until the end.
Both Milan and Inter have scored 49 goals, tying for first place. Milan conceded 20 goals, 9 fewer than Inter, ranking first in Serie A in terms of defense, while Inter is sixth. Both teams have certain unique strengths: Milan’s substitutes have significant impact, while Inter is particularly potent in the final 30 minutes of matches. After overcoming Napoli, Allegri praised Bojan's impressive performance off the bench, saying, "I've said many times, substitutions made during the game can be more important than the starting lineup. This scene is familiar to me; last round Pato scored against Chievo, and before that, Robinho's goal was also key." The Ghanaian's high-speed central runs to meet crosses from the flanks and score have become a set play, forming the ninth goal scored by Milan's substitutes this season, which is the highest in Serie A. Inter, Juventus, and Roma have all scored 6 such goals.
Milan has had 12 different players scoring this season, fewer than Inter, Juventus, and Lecce's 13 players. However, Allegri has utilized 31 players across 27 rounds, tied with Juventus and Bari for the most. 15 players have played over 1000 minutes, and 19 have played over 900 minutes, indicating unclear distinctions between starters and substitutes. Of course, these figures are related to injuries.
The team's top scorer, Eto'o, has scored 16 league goals, with 12 of them coming in the final half-hour, accounting for nearly half. His individual brilliance has given the team its defining characteristic. Under Leo, Inter made comebacks against Palermo (scoring 2 goals), thrashed Roma 5-3 (scoring 3 goals), narrowly beat Fiorentina (scoring 1 goal), and won against Bologna and Catania (scoring 2 goals respectively), with players exploding in the final 30 minutes. This serves as a warning for Inter's future opponents, especially Milan.