Koni De Winter has found the right path. After a difficult start, in recent matches he has continued to grow in both performance and confidence, and he appears to have secured a starting spot in the derby.
De Winter steadily improving - What are his numbers?
The former Genoa player, after an inconsistent first part of the season, has done very well to make the most of every opportunity he has been given, amid injuries and suspensions among his teammates, and he has become a player on whom Massimiliano Allegri relies heavily.
In the last 13 rounds of Serie A, the Belgian centre back, used in all three defensive roles of the Rossoneri back line, has started and played the full 90 minutes 10 times. On one occasion he remained on the bench, and in the last two matches he came on as a substitute. These are numbers typical of a regular starter.
A deserved confirmation in the derby:
The Rossoneri’s number 5 therefore deserves to be named in the starting lineup for Sunday’s derby. After the surgery of Matteo Gabbia, who will be out for about one month, it is also already fairly clear where he will play.
The 2002-born player will almost certainly operate in the center of defense, with Fikayo Tomori at right center back and Strahinja Pavlović at left center back. This is a role he has also filled in recent matches precisely in place of Gabbia, and in which he will have the difficult task of marking Inter Milan’s center forwards.
The Nerazzurri starter alongside Marcus Thuram is expected to be Francesco Pio Esposito. It is a challenge that De Winter will have to face with great focus, and one in which his physicality could prove decisive.
