Jonk: ‘No problems for Inter against Feyenoord, but…’ | OneFootball

Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands assistant Wim Jonk feels Inter are naturally the favourite against Feyenoord, although an early goal from the Dutch side could cause trouble for the Nerazzurri.

Inter and Feyenoord will meet at San Siro on Tuesday evening for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16.

The best betting sites in Italy list the Nerazzurri as the favourite side to qualify for the quarter-finals and one of the best-placed teams to win lift the trophy at the end of the season.

Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez’s goals helped the Nerazzurri secure a 2-0 win in the opening match played in the Netherlands last week.

“If I have to be rational, it’s clear that I think there won’t be any problems for the Nerazzurri against Feyenoord,” Wim Jonk, Koeman’s assistant coach at the Netherlands national team, told Gazzetta via TMW.

“They are on two different levels. But if Feyenoord were to take a 0-1 lead in the first half, then what would happen?”

Simone Inzaghi will likely rest Lautaro Martinez, Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni as Inter will also visit Atalanta in a crucial Serie A match this coming Sunday.

Jonk: ‘No problems for Inter against Feyenoord, but…’

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – MARCH 05: A general view as Kristjan Asllani of FC Internazionale takes a free kick during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 first leg match between Feyenoord and FC Internazionale Milano at De Kuip on March 05, 2025 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

“You could see it’s a great team,” Jonk continued.

“They didn’t play well in the first half last week, created very little, and Feyenoord could have been more dangerous. But after Thuram’s goal, Inter controlled the match brilliantly. It’s a sign of experience and maturity. Sometimes, managing the game intelligently is enough; you don’t always need to dominate.”

The Nerazzurri can rely on two Dutch players: Stefan de Vrij and Denzel Dumfries. How do they feel at San Siro?

“They feel good in Milan; they always tell me that,” said the Netherlands assistant coach.

“Nowadays, foreign players have fewer adaptation problems than in the past, but they do an excellent job for Inter every week. And everyone likes them, they’re great teammates.

“Stefan is an elegant defender, and he played at home in Rotterdam. Denzel is one of the most decisive players, both for the club and the national team. There’s no game in which he doesn’t create something. The opponents find themselves facing a runaway train, and stopping him physically is no easy task.”

Inter will have full focus on the upcoming Champions League fixture despite the next big Serie A game.

“I’m not thinking about the league,” Inzaghi said at a pre-match press conference on Monday.

“I will rotate players based on their physical condition. We have some fatigue to assess—Lautaro and De Vrij didn’t train with us, but I have good feelings.

“I will decide whether to use them or not. In addition to the usual absentees, Zielinski has suffered a significant injury at a time when we really didn’t need it. He was improving a lot and helping us; we will wait for him, just as we have for others.”