Inter Milan goalkeeper Jan Sommer has praised teammate Manuel Akanji ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game against Royal Union SG.
In a pre-match conference with FCInterNews, he spoke about Akanji’s influence and several other topics.
Manuel Akanji joined Inter on deadline day on a season-long loan from Manchester City.
Despite falling out of favor at the Etihad Stadium, the 30-year-old enjoyed success at the San Siro.
Indeed, the Swiss centre-back has already established himself as an integral star in the first team under manager Cristian Chivu.
There is therefore a good chance he will be included in Kivu’s starting XI tomorrow at Lott Park.
Meanwhile, Jan Sommer has returned to form after his dominant performance against Juventus last month.
The 36-year-old stopper’s heroics between the sticks helped Inter beat Roma 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
The former Borussia Mönchengladbach star will therefore remain in goal tomorrow.
Sommer is Kivu’s preferred option for this season’s Champions League.
In fact, he started Inter’s opening two matches against Slavia Prague and Ajax, and kept a clean sheet in both of them.
Jan Sommer praises Manuel Akanji ahead of Royal Union SG vs. Inter Milan
“Against Juve I made two mistakes,” Sommer admitted. “Sometimes it happens.
“Now we have found a good balance, which is very important to us.
“Akanji brings calmness and quality. We are happy to have a player like him, but the whole team is working very well.
“Against Roma, we defended with great energy and combined effort. That was the key to getting the three points.”
Despite Inter having a strong defensive line under Chivu, Sommer is not feeling any extra pressure.
“For me, it’s just a change of footing,” he added. “If the line goes up, so do I.
“I like our defense in recent games because we’re aggressive. Even if we lose the ball, we’re there. That’s very important.”
“When you’re up high, you have less meters to cover to press the ball, which I like. It’s always the result of a great job by the team.”
But he refuses to let complacency creep in.
“I don’t like being relaxed or confident,” Summer continued. “W has to do his best to win the match.
“We are motivated to have a great season and we want to win games, and against Roma we knew it would not be easy at all.
“We’re working hard, and it’s obvious.”
Sommer previews Royal Union SG vs. Inter Milan clash and praises team performance against Roma
Inter will play Royal Union SG for the first time tomorrow.
Although the two teams have never faced each other before, the powerhouse from San Siro will go into the match as the favorite to win.
“We have been prepared,” Sommer insisted. “I didn’t know much about them before this game, but I knew they were a good team.
“We know they have great personalities, a new, young and tactically intelligent manager. They are a tough opponent for us. It will be an interesting game tomorrow.”
Sommer also claims that Inter have turned last season’s disappointment into motivation for a better season this term.
“Obviously, last year was tough for everyone, but this is football,” he continued. “Great teams get back up and work even after setbacks.
“That’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve got a new coach and we’re working a lot to do better this year. Every step of the way is important.”
“We remained confident that we could win the title.”
Finally, he praised Inter’s performance in their tense victory in Rome at the weekend.
“It was much better before,” he added. “The start of the season was a little difficult.
“But we’ve always said to stay calm and work every day on the field, and we’re in a better situation now.
“We played a great game in Rome, which is also important for the environment, and now we’re back in the Champions League. Tomorrow will be very important.”
