Inter Milan were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 by finalists Liverpool. This was their fourth appearance in the last decade, and the Italian side were knocked out of the group stage in their last three appearances before the current season. After winning the UEFA Champions League in the 2009-10 season, Inter Milan have failed to make an impact on the bigger stage. However, the Italian side will be looking to improve their performance in the elite competition next season. They are targeting some of the players who could improve their chances of winning the UEFA Champions League. One of the players who has emerged as the target is Uruguayan striker and former UEFA Champions League, winner Luis Suarez. The striker will be out of contract in the summer after spending two years at Atletico Madrid. He carries a lot of experience behind his back and could be the answer to Inter Milan’s UCL problems.
Luis Suarez made seven appearances for the Spanish club in the elite competition this season. He started in five matches and came off the bench in the other two. His team played a very defensive style of football, and Suarez had limited opportunities to score a goal. However, the Uruguayan’s work rate is always on the higher side as he likes to put pressure on the opposition defenders. The player likes to put pressure on the opposition defender and forces them to make mistakes. The above viz shows his heat map, and we can observe that he has featured more on the left side. It can also be observed that the player can go wide with the ball and link play with his teammates. The forward took 19 touches inside the opposition’s penalty box.
The 35-year-old striker scored one goal with an xG rate of 1.11. The above heat map shows all the eight shots attempted by Suarez this season. The Uruguayan attempted five shots from inside the opposition’s penalty box. He managed to hit the target twice, with a shot accuracy rate of 25%. These eight shots were attempted in just two matches.
As mentioned earlier, the player likes to put pressure on the opposition defence, and this can be noticed from the above viz. The above viz shows all the duels contested by Suarez this season in the UEFA Champions League. He contested 31 duels, and these included nine aerial duels, five defensive duels, and 17 loose ball duels. Of the 31 duels, nine were contested inside the opposition’s penalty box. His other defensive contributions this season included three recoveries and four interceptions.
Atletico Madrid created very few chances this season in the competition, and Suarez’s passing was not that effective. But the player has the ability to link play with the other players. Inter Milan play with two strikers at the top, and Luis Suarez could be the perfect fit in their line-up. The player could end up playing for the Italian club next season.
