MILAN – Nerazzurri sporting director Piero Ausilio gave a brief interview to Sky Italia shortly before kick-off between Inter and Napoli.

Asked if Mazzarri had seemed more nervous than usual, Ausilio said: "I think it’s almost impossible for Mazzarri not to be nervous before a game."

Commenting then on his midweek trip to Madrid, he went on: "I saw two fantastic games. Unfortunately this year we have a bit of time on our hands on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it’s an opportunity to keep tabs on things.

"Can Icardi improve his link-up play? Of course he can and he must: given his age and his experience there’d be something wrong if he couldn’t get better. He works hard all week and has lots of room for improvement."