Inter Milan produced an impressive display in Rotterdam, beating Feyenoord 3-0 at De Kuip to strengthen their position in the league phase. Yann Bisseck, Francesco Pio Esposito and Piotr Zielinski scored for Cristian Chivu’s side, who responded positively after their defeat in the Milan derby.
AS Roma, meanwhile, suffered another painful reversal. Having led Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford, they conceded three second-half goals and left England empty-handed.
Capello, speaking on Sky Sport after the Champions League matches, was particularly impressed by Inter’s control and concentration throughout their victory.
“Inter played with personality. They never suffered, they were always alert and never had periods of sleepiness. They played as everyone expects them to play,” he said.
The former coach contrasted that performance with Roma’s inability to maintain their advantage, pointing to the similarities with their previous defeat against Real Madrid.
“Roma have been pegged back again today, after Real Madrid. They have to ask themselves a question. In the first half, they were masters of the pitch,” Capello added.
His criticism was not simply about the result. Capello felt Roma had been unable to sustain the discipline and intensity that had given them such a strong position before the interval.
He also suggested the quality of the opposition made the defeat particularly difficult to accept, arguing that Manchester United had not produced a performance that should have been beyond Roma to handle.
“Manchester United have ordinary players. This defeat hurts much more than the one against Mourinho,” he said.
Capello also considered what might have changed within the United team, suggesting the players had responded to discussions behind the scenes following their difficult period.
“You have to understand why they played the derby at a low tempo. Today they were attentive, as they will have told each other in their meetings, which are very important, especially when the players speak,” he explained.
“The things you say to each other face to face are useful.”
He believes the spirit shown by United could provide a foundation for improvement, while Roma must find answers to a recurring problem.
“As for Roma, for the first time we saw the spirit of the Red Devils, and that could be the way for them to become ambitious again.”