MILAN – “Today Denis was a tough customer.He’s very strong and never stops running. We did a good job against him, but not so much against his team-mates,” stated Andrea Ranocchia to Inter Channel after Inter v Atalanta.

“For a defender it’s always horrible to let in a goal. It was a shame because just a few minutes earlier we had a fantastic chance through Jonathan. Everything went wrong today – just look at all our chances and how many times we hit the woodwork. But that’s football. Starting tomorrow all our thoughts will be on Thursday’s game.

“In the game today your physical shape makes the difference. In January the coach rightly kept me out because of all the transfer rumours. I trained hard in February and made sure I was ready for my first chance, which is crucial in the game these days. I’m ready for the next challenge.” 

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MILAN – As Inter head into tomorrow’s game against Atalanta on the back of a six-match unbeaten run, Mauro Icardi spoke to Inter Channel this afternoon about the Nerazzurri’s recent form: "We have to keep doing what we have done in the last few games. We all want to take this team as high as possible."

He then joked with Inter Channel’s Roberto Scarpini about a rule from bygone days, when a penalty was awarded if you hit the woodwork five times: "Yeah, it would be good for me it that were true!"

Commenting further on how bad luck has prevented him from getting on the score sheet in recent games, he added: "You can’t do much about it really except keep knuckling down. How desperate am I to score? I want to celebrate in front of our fans, that would be great for everyone. Will we celebrate with a dance? No, we already did that once when I scored against Cagliari earlier this season. That’s enough."

So can we say it’s a nation making progress in which Inter and football could play a prominent role?
"Absolutely. Andrea Ratti will maintain a constant presence here starting in May. We’ve picked out a location for Inter Academy’s permanent headquarters: it will be the Mathagondapalli Model School, where the Hosur Rural Institute for Community Education is based, sixty kilometres from Bangalore. Twelve hundred children live there and it’s a campus where youngsters can find a way to study and practise sport at the same time. Many of them come from other regions and from disadvantaged backgrounds. So in that sense we’re happy to be able to make a positive contribution to their lives. There was so much enthusiasm, not only from the kids but from the coaches and parents as well. When the word got around that Inter Academy was there they came from all over the country. And this is an enormous country in which long distances can pose serious problems."

MILAN – "I’m happy. In the second half we
did much better than we did in the first one. We just needed the right play to
unlock the game. We had so many chances to score." The opening statements
from Hernanes to Inter Channel after Inter v Atalanta this afternoon.

"In football there are days like these,
when you walk off the pitch disappointed after having created so much and
having played so well. For my part, I’m very disappointed because I never like
losing at home. Only winning. We didn’t manage to pull it off today and it’s a
bitter pill to swallow. We’re doing well physically. Today Ricky [Alvarez],
Guarin and I did a good job moving the ball around and creating chances.

"Physically we’re in good shape and ready
for a fantastic end of the season. Today it went badly, but we’ll hold our
heads up because nothing has changed. Our thoughts are already on Thursday
against Udinese. I’m pleased we have another game so soon and we want to do our
best." 

MILAN – With the help of our friends at Football Data, we’ve put together this collection of facts and figures to get you in the mood for Inter’s Serie A contest with Atalanta this afternoon.

Palacio, Serie A’s most decisive player in 2013/14
With his goal last Saturday, which set Inter on their way to another three points against Verona, Rodrigo Palacio moved back to the top of the ‘most decisive players’ standings in the league, level with Juventus’ Vidal. The goals scored by the Argentine and Chilean have earned their teams 19 points.

Inter’s 320-minute shutout
Mazzarri’s men have been watertight at the back for 320 minutes now, since Pinilla converted from the spot in the 40th minute of Inter 1-1 Cagliari on 23 February. The Nerazzurri defence has remained unbreached for the remaining 50 minutes of that game plus the full 90 against Roma (0-0 away), Torino (1-0 at home) and Verona (2-0 away).

Birthday boy Walter Samuel
Walter Adrian Samuel turns 36 today. The veteran defender was born in Firmat (Argentina) on 23 March 1978.

Penalty paucity
Inter are the only Serie A outfit not to have been awarded a spot kick in 2013/14. The last penalty given in their favour was 30 league games ago on 8 May 2013, Alvarez then missing from 12 yards in Inter 1-3 Lazio. Atalanta are second in the table of teams to have received the fewest penalties this season: just one in 28 matches.

Mazzarri aiming to level the scores with Colantuono
Walter Mazzarri and Stefano Colantuono have crossed swords 12 times in competitive fixtures before today, with Mazzarri winning three, Colantuono four, and five draws. Mazzarri’s sides have always conceded at least once when playing at home, letting in nine in total.

Mazzarri even-stevens with Atalanta
Walter Mazzarri’s results from meetings with Atalanta in his coaching career are in perfect parity: six victories for both sides and seven draws.

Colantuono unbeaten in seven against Inter
Stefano Colantuono has pitted his wits against Inter eight times as a coach, losing only the first encounter, when Inter hosted Atalanta in Serie A on 23 December 2006 (2-1). Since that game, Colantuono has won two and drawn five.