Mkhitaryan won the Man of the Match award during Inter’s 3-1 home win over Parma, as he set up Federico Dimarco’s opener and Nicolò Barella’s second of the night with two assists, once again proving why he’s irreplaceable to coach Simone Inzaghi.
The former Manchester United midfielder has bounced back following a slow start to his season and is still delivering at the age of 35, something that he credits his teammates to, as he believes their ‘work’ is his ‘secret’ to play at high intensity.
The Nerazzurri are trying to keep up with leaders Napoli in Serie A and are well-positioned in the Champions League standings, although the Armenian is aware that their fixture at Bayer Leverkusen next Tuesday will pose a tough hurdle to overcome, due to ‘great individual players’ and a ‘really strong coach’.
Mkhitaryan: My teammates’ work is ‘my secret’, Bayer Leverkusen have ‘changed’
“I feel like I made a normal assist, nothing special,” Mkhitaryan told DAZN after the match.
“Surely it’s also thanks to the positioning of my teammates on the field. My secret for keeping up with the high tempo? The work of my teammates. I just keep doing my best in training and in matches.”
Bayer Leverkusen have secured the Bundesliga title last season under Xabi Alonso, and the 35-year-old admits their status has ‘changed’ since he used to play in Germany for Borussia Dortmund.
“Since I played in Germany, Bayer have changed. They have a really strong coach, and the team is well-organized on the field, with great individual players. We need to stay focused and deliver a good performance.”
