Inter Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by AS Roma despite impressive performances from Achraf Hakimi and Marcelo Brozovic.
AC Milan’s lead at the top of the Serie A table extended to four points following Inter Milan’s unsurprising 2-2 draw with AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The Nerazzurri didn’t exactly have a bad start to the game as their attackers repeatedly kept probing the opposition defence, even crafting a couple of good opportunities in the first half. However, it was Roma who went into half-time, with a 1-0 lead courtesy local boy Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose deflected shot found the back of the net.
A stronger showing from Inter in the second half saw the Giallorossi lose their slender advantage as Milan Skriniar equalised in the 56th minute with a thumping header. Minutes later, Achraf Hakimi put his side ahead with a truly remarkable effort from just around the edge of the penalty area.
And just when it seemed that Antonio Conte’s men were going to get away with a narrow win, Roma pulled things back through Gianluca Mancini. The draw now means Inter are four points behind their cross-town rivals AC Milan and here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over their disappointing draw at the Stadio Olimpico this weekend.
Samir Handanovic: 6/10
Samir Handanovic had very little chance of saving Pellegrini’s effort that deflected off Alessandro Bastoni to find the back of the net. Although the Inter Milan goalkeeper couldn’t have done much to save the second goal either and did make a couple of good saves during the course of the match, his steady deterioration is fairly obvious now.
Milan Skriniar: 6.5/10
Milan Skriniar scored from another thumping header to offer his side some hope of a comeback in the second half. Defensively, however, the centre-back should have done much better, especially for the second goal, when he was quite easily beaten by Mancini.
Look at Skriniar having already begun applauding the goal before the ball has even gone in the back of the net. He recognizes greatness when he sees it. pic.twitter.com/5J4HEccHLt
— M?A?D?S (@WWFTD) January 10, 2021
Stefan de Vrij: 7/10
Stefan de Vrij had a decent game at the heart of the Inter Milan defence as he quite often does. His dogged defensive nature kept the Roma attackers at bay, especially Edin Dzeko, who failed to make a huge impact despite his towering figure.
Alessandro Bastoni: 6/10
Alessandro Bastoni had a relatively poor game compared to his defensive teammates. The young Italian centre-back may have been a little more proactive when it comes to attacking the opposition ball-carrier. Although he was unfortunate with the deflection, he still has a room for improvement.
Achraf Hakimi: 8/10
Achraf Hakimi is simply one of the most in-form players in Serie A at the moment and his confidence was oozing through in this game. Indeed, the former Borussia Dortmund man played a key role in Inter’s resurgence in the second half, providing a lot of offensive support to his teammates and scoring a beautiful goal with his weaker left foot. One of the bright sparks for Conte this afternoon.
What a finish from Inter full back Achraf Hakimi ? pic.twitter.com/6V0ENhizWD
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 10, 2021
Nicolo Barella: 7/10
Nicolo Barella was Inter Milan’s main source of offensive creativity. He acted as a ball-carrier when it was necessary while also providing good tenacity in the second line of press. He was caught out of possession once, leading to the counter-attack that was converted into the first goal for AS Roma.
Marcelo Brozovic: 7.5/10
Marcelo Brozovic had an excellent game in the middle of the park, as he so often does. The Croatian international was neat and tidy with his passing, orchestrating the Inter Milan comeback that we witnessed in the second half and barely allowing the AS Roma midfielders to dominate the proceedings. He also provided the assist for Skriniar’s equaliser with a brilliant corner.
Arturo Vidal: 5/10
Replacing Roberto Gagliardini in the starting eleven, Arturo Vidal struggled to provide the cutting edge that was necessary to dominate this game. He often looked lacklustre in possession, failing to provide that tidiness, ultimately becoming a source of weakness for Inter during the possession phases.
? – Arturo Vidal with a good chance to make it 3-1 but he misses the ball and falls. pic.twitter.com/HCMvJvTtuS
— ??? ???? ? (@TheEuropeanLad) January 10, 2021
Matteo Darmian: 6/10
Matteo Darmian was given the nod ahead of Ashley Young and Ivan Perisic at left wing-back role and rightly so. Unfortunately for him though, an injury cut his night short as the former Manchester United star was replaced by Young just after the half-hour mark. Not a good sign for Conte.
Lautaro Martinez: 5/10
It was a typical Lautaro Martinez performance that saw the Argentine striker offer glimpses of his talents at times before switching off for the large parts of the game. The striker clearly needs to improve, not only in terms of his productivity but also his consistency and overall gameplay if he is to become one of the best players in Europe.
Romelu Lukaku: 6.5/10
Romelu Lukaku’s return to the starting lineup was a welcome one for Inter Milan as the forward was involved in quite a lot of chances for the away side. However, the top scorer missed a good opportunity to score in the first half before offering very little end product for most of the second half.
Substitutes
Ashley Young: 6.5/10
Replaced the injured Darmian, and didn’t disappoint. He looked athletic and was always willing to march forward whenever it was necessary. It wasn’t enough to seal all three points, however.
Ivan Perisic: 6.5/10
Perisic replaced the ineffective Martinez during the final phase of the game. The Croat offered some energy and directness going forward but nothing extraordinary.
Roberto Gagliardini: N/A
A late replacement for Vidal – a move that should’ve been made much earlier. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Aleksandar Kolarov: N/A
A late replacement for Hakimi. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
