Why Inter's derby collapse has reopened the Barella-Jones debate
A rash foul from Nicolo Barella and a costly free-kick in the derby defeat to Milan have pundits arguing Curtis Jones should inherit his midfield slot once fit.
Inter's 3-1 defeat to Milan in the Derby della Madonnina has sharpened scrutiny on Nicolo Barella's place in midfield, with pundits Paolo Di Canio and Stefano Pioli both pointing to Curtis Jones as the man who should eventually take his role, Football Italia reports.
Saturday's loss extended Inter's winless run in the fixture to eight matches, with two draws and six defeats since their last derby victory in April 2024. It also ended their unbeaten start to the Serie A season and dropped them off top spot, with Lazio now leading on 28 points from ten matches.
Barella's part in the collapse was specific rather than general. He conceded a foul just outside the penalty area that Milan's Diego Moreira converted directly for the decisive 3-1 goal.
A foul in the wrong zone turns into a set-piece goal
Conceding a free-kick in that pocket of space is less about one mistimed challenge than about a pattern. Di Canio, speaking on Sky Sport Italia and cited by TMW, framed it as a recurring issue rather than a one-off: "Barella commits the foul and it's a bad one, the one that led to the goal for 3-1. It's things we've spoken about before, impromptu little heel kicks and things like that."
That description matters tactically. A midfielder who engages in speculative, close-control duels in advanced areas risks conceding fouls precisely where opponents can hurt him most directly, via a dead ball with a clear sight of goal. Milan's execution from the resulting free-kick turned a recoverable 2-1 position into a game that was effectively settled.
Di Canio also pointed to Inter's broader response under pressure. "Inter suffered against Milan. It was a team that looked terrified, especially after going 3-1 down," he said, adding that the players themselves had conceded a drop in intensity: "They confirmed it themselves by saying that they might've lost a bit of hunger or that they've taken their foot off the gas. We're not making that up. They are still the strongest team, but they didn't bounce back against Milan."
Jones offers a different balance in front of the defence
Di Canio's prescription was direct: Jones, not Barella, should be the long-term starter in that midfield role. "Remember: Curtis Jones will be a starter. He brings aggression and also helps out in front of the defence. He will play, he's their most evolved midfielder," he said.
The phrase is worth unpacking. A midfielder who "helps out in front of the defence" is one who screens the back line and breaks up opposition moves before they reach dangerous areas, rather than one drawn into forward duels that can backfire. If that reading holds, Jones would offer Inter more defensive discipline in transition moments, exactly the scenario in which Barella's foul proved so costly.
Pioli, also in the Sky studio, endorsed the assessment of Jones without directly criticising Barella: "I like him a lot, he's an all-rounder."
Jones arrived at Inter in a €35m transfer from Liverpool and has made four Serie A appearances this season, but has missed the last five matches with an adductor injury sustained around the September-October international break. His absence means any tactical reshuffle involving him remains theoretical until he returns to fitness.
Lautaro's absence, not just Barella's form, is the bigger problem
Pioli was clear that Inter's deeper issue right now is the lack of Lautaro Martinez rather than any single midfielder's shortcomings. "There's an Inter with Lautaro and an Inter without him. Every coach wants a captain like that. He fights for every ball and plays every game with passion and a desire to help the team. I've always really admired him," he said.
He went further on the captain's influence inside the squad: "Sometimes in the dressing room, what a teammate says to you can be the most important thing."
The two assessments are not contradictory so much as layered. Barella's foul created the moment that sealed the derby defeat, and Jones represents a potential structural fix for that kind of lapse once he is fit again. But Pioli's point is that Inter's drop-off after going behind, the lack of composure Di Canio described as a team looking "terrified," may owe as much to the missing leadership and competitive edge of their captain as to any single positional swap in midfield.
Inter now sit behind Lazio in the table after ten rounds, with their response to the derby defeat likely to hinge on both Lautaro's return and whatever balance Simone Inzaghi settles on in midfield once Jones is available again.