The last time Inter Milan conceded 4 goals in a row at home was 4 years ago. On August 27, 2006, in the Italian Super Cup, Inter Milan reversed to win 4-3 against Roma and lifted the trophy. This was one of the most thrilling comebacks in the history of Inter Milan. In the first half, Mancini's and Aquilani's (who scored twice) goals put Inter Milan behind 0-3, and it seemed like a heavy defeat was inevitable. However, starting from minute 44, Inter Milan staged an incredible comeback. Vieira scored twice, Crespo also found the net, and ultimately Figo sealed the victory with a free-kick in extra time!
In the previous season, Siena almost achieved a similar feat. It was a rollercoaster match. Inter Milan fell behind early in the game, but Sneijder's and Milito's goals helped them take the lead temporarily. However, Ekdal's and Makarone's goals put Inter Milan back in crisis again. At the 85th minute, Inter Milan was still trailing 2-3. Mourinho's eight-year unbeaten record at home was about to be broken. At this moment, Sneijder stepped up and his free-kick helped Inter Milan level the score. And in the second minute of stoppage time, Samuel completed the stunning comeback!
It is well known that the left side has always been Inter Milan's weakness. Since Chivu suffered a skull injury, he has never recovered. Santon is still too young, and Inter Milan's left side often becomes the key target for opponents in the new season, turning into a "disaster area". Today, Bale showcased the ability of a top-class full-back: defensively solid (not inferior to Maicon, most of Inter Milan's goals came from the center and left), and offensively effective (completed a hat-trick). Of course, Bale's hat-trick raises many questions: why could he break through using the same offensive pattern three times? Is Inter Milan's right defense so weak? Didn't Benitez understand the need for targeted defense? From the second goal, it can be seen that Zanetti did not chase with full effort. One bold assumption is that Inter Milan intentionally gave Bale more space to perform, and Bale did not disappoint, even overshadowing Eto'o in front of his potential new club in the future.
This was Inter Milan's most thrilling victory of the previous season. A game that pushed these two characteristics to the extreme. Not to mention scoring 3 goals in a row at the Meazza, actually throughout the entire season, there are very few teams that could score two goals in a row at this stadium.
However, why was the second half of today's Meazza showdown such a predicament? The main issue naturally lies in the mentality. Leading by 4 goals at halftime, it's impossible for the players' minds not to relax. We can say that Eto'o's crazy performance made the game enter garbage time early, and the Inter Milan players approached the game with an enjoyment mindset. Of course, such a mentality is debatable. In the fifth round of league matches against Roma, Inter Milan was lax at the last moment and was eventually killed by Vucinic.
Secondly, why was the player who performed the goal spree Bale instead of someone else? Before the game, the authoritative Sky Sports in Italy pointed out that this game was a "two-for-one" deal for Inter Milan. Winning three points at home was naturally the primary task, but there was another purpose: evaluating Bale. The upper management of Inter Milan would discuss transfer matters regarding Bale with the visiting Tottenham officials.
The reason why the era of Inter Milan under Mourinho achieved the treble was due to two things: a strong home field and a tough style. That is to say, reversing Inter Milan on the Meazza ground was virtually impossible.
However, today's situation was completely opposite. Saneč’‚ scored within 2 minutes of the start, and within 10 minutes, Inter Milan was already leading by two goals. Within 36 minutes of the first half, the lead advantage reached 4 goals. Such efficiency even exceeded the first half of the previous round when they defeated Werder Bremen 4-0. But in the second half, the situation was completely different. Bale used almost entirely different offensive patterns to devastate Inter Milan's right side. As "TuttoMercatoWeb" put it, "This was Inter Milan's best half (first half) and worst half (second half)."
Inter Milan 4-3 Tottenham, a thoroughly enjoyable game, a breathtaking scoreline. Eto'o once again went wild with 2 goals and 2 assists, captain Saneč’‚ scored his first goal of the season. Thus, the Nerazzurri achieved a six-game winning streak in the Champions League at home and consolidated their position as group leaders. This appeared to be a perfect night, but there were flaws, such as Bale's hat-trick in the second half!