First match will be against AC Milan. The assistant tells to prepare attacking movement but Viktoria decides that defense has looked iffy lately and chooses to train defensive positioning. Sturridge is back from his injury! Physios got the duration of his injury wrong and he's back before expected. However, he's tired and is placed on the bench.
Before the match, every other team had played. Juventus beat Fiorentina, meaning they shall not win again if Inter is to have any chance. Palermo beat Sampdoria. ((And I'm annoyed because we can no longer initiate interactions about opposition teams or coaches. I guess they were kind of overpowered before? It was easy to put pressure on a team or demoralize them to see a drop of their form.))
In the press match conference Viktoria defended Malesani's job, then got him complaining for some reason saying he had his team talk made for him.
Match:
0'-15': It's a close affair for the first quarter of an hour. AC Milan have the better chances, but past that time, when players finally settle on the match, they begin to vanish offensively. Defensively, though, they prove to be tough and it's hard to find good chances.
29': A corner brings the first goal. For Inter through Pratto after a corner. AC Milan's attack vanishes completely, but they still fight well in defence.
HT: Things are the same. No offensive presence by the rossoneri but no ways of penetration found by the nerazzurri.
55': A cross by Krejci is going to be parried by Diego López, but a centreback gets on top of him and in the nerves of trying to change the planned parry to avoid to get the ball to bounce off the centreback into goal, López deflects it directly into his own net. At that point AC Milan seems to wake up and begin to shows some threat in attack, however they don't manage anything of note, two promising counter attacks being broken by good defensive work by N'Diaye and Gustavinho.
69': Sturridge comes in to get some match fitness.
85': He heads home a corner.
FT: Inter 3 - AC Milan 0
Inter is second, six points behind Juventus, three ahead of Palermo and six ahead of Samptoria. Europa League qualification is assured despite Udinese and Verona wins. One more win and Champions League stage group will be assured as well.
What? Malesani is a jerk! I'm honestly supportive of him, telling the press he should be given more time. His Milan isn't doing well but there's been signs he can improve them. He then goes on to the press whining about me and the supposed mind games on the press, when he was the only one who began any mind games.
Fiorentina is next. Assistant doesn't recommend any match preparation. Viktoria decides to keep the defensive positioning. The match is away.
This time Inter plays first. They're expeced to play a flat 4-5-1.
Most of the young players are away on international duties. Who's the genius that makes competitive international games with the season still going?
Match: Sturridge starts this one.
2': Good Kerjci chance.
15': A corner and Kerjci manages to score from a tight angle with a deflection on the goalie's body.
22': Fiorentina has showed moderate threat levels. Another chance by Kerjci that is parried to corner.
24'-29': They have two chances: in one they force a save from a low quality long shot, in the next they have a position to create a big threat but they fail to do anything worthy with it.
HT: They change to a 3-5-2.
60': Since half time, only play worth mentioning is a very promising counterattack for Inter that is squandered when Cerci loses the ball.
68': Sturridge is having a bad match, so he's replaced by Pratto.
73': While considering if changing to a 3-1-4-1-1 to control the match, Cerci gets agoal after a slightly messy play in the area.
78': It's decided to bring in Gustavinho for Juan Jesus to avoid him picking a second yellow card.
79': Gustavinho heads home a corner.
FT: Inter 3 - Fiorentina 0. Tenth win in a row.
Viktoria praised all the team and let Fausto Salsano speak to each player. He didn't tell Sturridge he was poor. So Viktoria went to talk to him later to say she wasn't happy. He was, Viktoria reassurred her position and Sturridhe backed down.
That sub to avoid second yellow card for Juan Jesus? Worthless, he reached the limit and won't play against Spezia.
Chaves have been promoted back to Liga NOS. Board sets initial budgets. Already? Well, Viktoria can go around the contract renewals. €1,446,721p/w in wages and €23,270,533 for transfers. Also, Sampdoria lost their match, guaranteeing Champions League qualification for Inter! Bonuses have been paid for that. Juventus failed to win and are four points ahead, two matches to go. Against Spezia, their weakest rival of the four they had to play against. Championship is still as nearly impossible as before, but not yet completely.
Palermo is three points behind. One win guarantees second place and being qualified directly into the group stage. In fact, having won the previous league match against Palermo and Inter, just drawing against Palermo is enough.
Next game is against Spezia. Salsano wants to train attacking movement. Viktoria chooses to train defending set pieces.
Handanovic is offered a new contract. He accepts talking and asks almost half of his current wages. It's given to avoid a change of mind to ask more. Goalkeeper position is solved. With that it's also decided a substitute for Perrin will be looked for. Krejci, who has interest from Arsenal, is offered a new contract, he wants almost double with a lot of bonuses, but he signs a new contract just slightly less crazy. He's worth it, though. There's no contract renewal for Viktoria as hers lasts until 2023, still two more years to go.
Match: Gustavinho is chosen to play instead of suspended Juan Jesus despite his mere 10 jumping reach.
20': We start strong. Should have gone with the first idea for match preparation: attacking set pieces, not defending, as Inter has had a lot of corners. After a messy half minute of blocked shots in the area after a corner, Sturridge finds the net and makes it 1-0. Champions Group stage is achieved at the moment. Still no messages of Juventus or Palermo scoring.
27': First dangerous attack by Spezia that is very well defended.
39': Gabriel Barbosa scores for Juventus, winning the league is out of the question.
41': Tony Sanabria scores for Palermo. Winning the league is again a possibility. Inter wants Palermo to do the same as them. A through ball by Parodi is slotted home by Sturridge, 2-0 Inter.
HT: Spezia changes from the narrow 4-3-2-1 to a flat 4-4-2.
~62': Schipeni slides with two feet into Parodi, yellow card. Viktoria complains to the fourth ref. Seconds later Schelotto earns a yellow card. The permissive referee has given three to them in the second half, Spezia seem to start playing violently. Cerci immediately injured, but I don't think he was fouled.
64': Longo scores for Spezia, Savic letting him in space.
72': magnificent through ball from Pratto that Sturridge smashes against the post.
75': Lombardo shoves Pratto gratuitously while off the ball, gets the second yellow card.
77': Juventus scores, second place ensured whatever happens for Inter, Juventus champions.
82': Juventus scores again, hope is lost.
FT: Title is out of reach. 11th consecutive win, 16 matches unbeaten.
On to the last match. AC Milan are 14th and could still go down, as they're just two ponts ahead of relegation. Inter is going to be second no matter what. Chances are Viktoria will use a rotated eleven to see the younger players.
((GAH! The game didn't ask me about the Uxx squads and the attacking youths I wanted to use are all tired, I guess I can risk it))
Match: Gustavinho, Consonni, Binetti, Boccalli and both Parodi and Farnocchia (who use to alternate in the BBM spot) in the starting eleven.
13': Binetti scores, assist by Consonni.
19': free kick, Gustavinho hits the post from tight angle.
HT: They change to a narrow 4-3-3, Viktoria answers with the 3-1-4-1-1 with a bunch of players more or less out of their natural position.
90': A very good chance for Palermo that Handanovic, who their manager pointed out as Inter's weakest link, saves.
92': Cerci has a decent angle from a reboung but misses.
FT: End of the season. Juventus beat Catania away 2-6 so they end four points ahead. 17 unbeaten matches run. 12 consecutive wins. Binetti was the player of the match with his first ever goal for Inter.
Gustavinho gets a wage raise for his fifteenth appearance for Inter.
So ends the best season for Viktoria since she began her career. A huge club, a top league, from 19th to 2nd, 17 matches unbeaten run, 12 consecutive wins, qualified for Champions League, future looking bright, a squad with players who admire her, though Savic still says she lacks credibility. Successful signings, save for Tipple who has barely played at all, though he wasn't signed to have a lot of time.
Only Cerci finishes his contract at the end of this season, once Handanovic renewed his contract. Krejci wasn't finishing his contract but there was interest from Arsenal and Viktoria decided to give him a new one to tie him.
Sturridge's asking price is very low, so there's a very high chance Viktoria will try to sign him permanently. N'Diaye will be let go and a more solid right fullback will be sought. A replacement for Perin, who will be sold is also needed. A quality centreback to have depth for the next season is needed. Consonni has done well in the left side to be a valid second choice. Defensive midfield is covered well with Medel and Weigl, though a third option wouldn't be a bad idea, preferably someone young. Central midfield is well covered too, with Parodi/Farnocchia and Pratto/Koo Ja-Cheol. The only other spot, apart from striker, that needs thinking is whether to renew Cerci or look for some replacement in right winger. Or perhaps keep Cerci as a player for either wing and striker as backup against injuries.
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((One or two minutes in matches account may be a bit off, as initially I didn't write down one or two and later it was a pain to look for the screenies so I went from memory.))