{"id":121507,"date":"2025-09-05T20:19:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T20:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/121507\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T20:19:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T20:19:10","slug":"inter-coach-chivu-could-switch-to-4-3-2-1-shape-with-manuel-akanji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/121507\/","title":{"rendered":"Inter coach Chivu could switch to 4-3-2-1 shape with Manuel Akanji"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu could reportedly move towards a 4-3-2-1 formation with the signing of Manuel Akanji.<\/p>\n<p>This according to today\u2019s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcinter1908.it\/news\/rassegna-stampa\/inter-akanji-difesa-4-possibile\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FCInter1908<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu has made it fairly clear that he intends to change the formation this season.<\/p>\n<p>In Inter\u2019s first two matches of the Serie A season, the Nerazzurri have lined up in the familiar 3-5-2 shape.<\/p>\n<p>That is the formation that the team still know best. And it is also the system that best suits the players in the squad.<\/p>\n<p>However, Chivu has already been experimenting with a 3-4-2-1 shape since the Club World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the Romanian went with a back-four shape while chasing the game against Udinese.<\/p>\n<p>Chivu Could Use 4-3-2-1 Shape At Inter With Akanji<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/manchester-city-fc-v-al-ain-fc-group-g-fifa-club-world-cup-2025-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/manchester-city-fc-v-al-ain-fc-group-g-fifa-club-world-cup-2025-1.jpg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-508447 has-webp size-large\" alt=\"Manuel Akanji Manchester City\"  data- style=\"aspect-ratio:3840\/2559;max-width:2048px\"\/><\/a>ATLANTA, GEORGIA \u2013 JUNE 22: Manuel Akanji #25 of Manchester City looks on prior to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Manchester City FC and Al Ain FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Grimm\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>What seems clear is that Chivu wants an attacking midfielder to play behind the strikers.<\/p>\n<p>That is a role that the coach envisions for Davide Frattesi.<\/p>\n<p>And this is why Chivu has been orienting towards a 3-4-2-1 shape.<\/p>\n<p>However, an alternative would be to play with a midfield trio, and also have Frattesi on the pitch as an attacking midfielder.<\/p>\n<p>This would look something like a 4-3-1-2 shape, or Carlo Ancelotti\u2019s famous 4-3-2-1 \u201cChristmas tree\u201d formation.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that Inter\u2019s defenders have always suited a back-three defense best. Therefore, changing to a back-four would be tricky.<\/p>\n<p>However, Tuttosport suggest, the arrival of <a href=\"https:\/\/sempreinter.com\/2025\/09\/04\/yakin-manuel-akanji-match-fit-inter-regular-starter-man-city\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Manuel Akanj<\/a>i from Manchester City could change that.<\/p>\n<p>Akanji is a player very familiar with playing in a centre-back pairing.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the player who <a href=\"https:\/\/sempreinter.com\/2025\/09\/04\/yakin-manuel-akanji-match-fit-inter-regular-starter-man-city\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Akanji<\/a> replaces, Benjamin Pavard, has been a real back three specialist.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, Tuttosport argue, Akanji could allow Chivu to use a back four with Akanji and Bastoni as the two centre-backs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu could reportedly move towards a 4-3-2-1 formation with the signing of Manuel Akanji.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":121508,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,85],"class_list":["post-121507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}