Inter Milan is a rare case among top European teams to have two strikers in their squad. They are Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.
Only Atletico Madrid have applied a similar formation, while in the Premier League, few teams have played with 2 strikers regularly.
Against Bayern Munich, Inter's interest in using this striker pair was clearly demonstrated. They beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.
The two Inter strikers coordinated well in the first goal. Thuram's drop shot facilitated Martinez's beautiful long-range shot from Carlos Augusto's pass.
In fact, Davide Frattesi's decisive goal with only 2 minutes left in the match was an end that did not have much to do with the two Inter strikers. Instead, the main reason came from Eric Dier not holding the right position.
The two strikers' formation used to be a popular formation, but now it seems outdated. But that is the reason that makes it harder for teams to predict.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany remains loyal to the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, despite the squad being seriously weakened by injuries. And that cost him both defensively and offensively.
Kim Min-jae and Dier face Inter's strikers directly, while Bayern's difficulty in transition is easily recognizable.
No defender wants to face each other. Kompany's idea could be to let full-back Josip Stanisic back and support the centre-back pair. However, as a result, Leroy Sane lacked cooperation on the wing and caused the German player to get stuck in a series of useless dribbles.
For Inter, Thuram and Martinez have played together for nearly two seasons and created a partnership that few striker couples have had. They know when to retreat deep, when to separate and attack the opposing full-backs. The proof is that in the opening goal at the Allianz Arena, they seemed to know what their teammates would do next.
Simone Inzaghi's strategy for Inter is also very reasonable. What they lack in terms of energy (except for Nicolo Barella and a few others), is compensated by experience and intelligence. And they know how to take advantage of all the advantages they have.
Inter are not necessarily a strong candidate for this year's Champions League title. But when it comes to a team, few teams can compare with them. And the use of two strikers plays an extremely important role in Inter's success.
