Del Piero tags Inter ‘average’ after Champion League exit

Alessandro Del Piero has described Inter Milan as “average” in their Champions League exit to Bodo/Glimt, while warning that Juventus face a far tougher task in their own European tie.

Speaking on Sky Sport, the former Juventus captain praised the Norwegian side’s intensity and organisation but questioned Inter’s response on a high-pressure night.

“Bodo played an exceptional game, their teamwork, desire and passion for the sport made the difference,” Del Piero said.

“But Inter were too passive. These are matches you win by doing something more than average, and tonight Inter played an average game. Often that is enough for them, but tonight everything went wrong.”

Atmosphere and missed opportunity

Del Piero pointed to the occasion as a factor Inter failed to harness.

“There were 80,000 people there, it only takes a moment to ignite a crowd like that,” he said.

“Their performance, not exactly lifeless but without that something extra, gives you pause for thought. It is a shame, because Inter had the tools to go through.”

Inter’s elimination came as a surprise given their experience at this level, but Del Piero suggested the difference lay in urgency and mentality rather than technical quality.

Juventus facing ‘titanic challenge’

Attention now shifts to Juventus, who trail Galatasaray 5-2 heading into their second leg.

“Juventus face a titanic challenge, far greater than the one Inter had,” Del Piero said.

“They need to give a response of pride, win the game and produce a superior performance.

“They need a spark to change the current trend, because they have lost several matches recently. It will be extremely difficult for them to go through, even if we all hope they do.”

Juventus must overturn a three-goal deficit to force extra time and win by four to progress outright. However Recent defensive struggles have compounded the difficulty of the task.