Chivu ‘worried’ by Inter’s leaky defence

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Cristian Chivu said he “would not be a coach” if he were not concerned by Inter’s defensive displays.

However, the Inter boss is delighted with his team’s attacking ability, after the Nerazzurri came from 2-0 down to beat Udinese 5-3 on Monday.

The reigning Serie A champions fell behind at San Siro, but Carlos Augusto, Nicolo Barella, Marcus Thuram, Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny struck to put them into a commanding position.

Idrissa Gueye grabbed another for Udinese late on, meaning Inter have now shipped eight goals this season in five games this term.

Inter, who had to come from 2-0 down to beat Napoli on September 5, have scored 14 goals, more than any other Serie A team, but Chivu is focusing on improving their defence.

Chivu told Sky Sport Italia: “If I don’t say I’m worried, then I am not a coach.

“This is modern football, there is a great deal of intensity, our opponents took us on and I like this way of playing, even if it does mean taking risks.

“I loved the goal for 2-2 that was sparked by winning back the ball quickly. We are not perfect, we know that we have a lot of work to do, and areas where we need to improve.”

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE BARELLA?? pic.twitter.com/iMMMg8ES7e

— Inter (@Inter_en) September 15, 2026

Inter have scored 5+ goals in four Serie A games in 2026.

In the five major European leagues, only Bayern Munich have managed 5+ goals on more occasions (six) in this calendar year (Barcelona also four matches).

“As a player and a coach, I’ve never seen a perfect football team,” Chivu added.

“We must try to do our best and maintain our identity, because of our values and principles, both tactical and human. This is how I like it, but in some games it works better than others, that’s the sport.

“Finding the right balance is the key, doing certain things without losing the identity of this group. Some of the players didn’t have a full pre-season and need to get into shape, we are trying to get them all playing to help that process. We know the risks involved in that.”

Next up for Inter is a clash with top-of-the-table Roma, who have made a flying start to the season.

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