Dimarco: "It needs to be a game focused on attack, concentration, and a performance worthy of Inter" | OneFootball

Inter gear up to host Bodo/Glimt at San Siro in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 playoffs on Tuesday, 24 February at 21:00 CET. On the eve of the showdown, Federico Dimarco responded to journalists' questions during the press conference at the BPER Training Centre in Appiano Gentile.

What is the best way to approach a game where you need to score three goals? "It will be a game in which we're very focused on attack because we are two goals behind. We'll have to watch out for their counterattacks, which have proven deadly in this Champions League campaign in several matches."

Will it be more important and more difficult to score or to avoid conceding?

"We'll have to focus on scoring first. Then we'll see how the match plays out, but since we are two goals down, the aim is to try and overcome that deficit as quickly as possible."

What is it like to be coached by a manager who played in the same position as you?

"It's incredible! He's given me lots of advice since the start of the year, so has Kolarov, so I've been very lucky to have them both."

How surreal would it be to advance in the Champions League and qualify for the World Cup?

"We have to give it a shot because we're Inter, and at home we have to prove what it means to play like Inter, like the team we've seen all these years. The same goes for qualifying for the World Cup; we are Italy, we haven't been there for two World Cups, and it's our responsibility to get there. "

Did you expect Pio to have the kind of impact that he is having in matches?

"Pio is a good lad; he works hard, never gives up, and what he is doing is very well deserved. We're happy to have him with us."

What do you think of Bodø?

"They're a strong side that are very well organised, because you don't beat teams like City and Atlético Madrid just with luck."

What do you think of Norwegian football, the national team, and Bodø?

"The national team has grown a lot and has quality players. I don't keep up with the Norwegian league too much, but judging by what Bodø are doing, they're definitely raising the level."