Alexis Sanchez was the only positive as his second-half cameo helped Inter Milan secure a valuable point against Torino.
Inter Milan suffered yet another blow in their title aspirations as they succumbed to a 1-1 draw with Torino on Sunday. The result sees the defending champions drop down to third and trail league leaders AC Milan by four points, albeit with a game in hand.
Approaching this game without a few star players, including Stefan de Vrij and Marcelo Brozovic, Inter Milan looked far from their best. They had troubles dominating the game as Torino supplied men forward at every instance, putting pressure on an Inter backline that looked quite susceptible to attacks.
Torino’s early pressure was paid off when Bremer took advantage of an absolute mess from the Nerazzurri backline during a set-piece situation. His 12th-minute opener proved to be the only difference between the two sides for a large portion of the game, with the home side defending their lead valiantly throughout the course of the game.
Unfortunately for Ivan Juric’s men, their resilience was broken during injury time, as Alexis Sanchez found the back of the net with a vicious strike. The goal prompted the visitors to quickly search for a winner, but it wasn’t to come. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Inter Milan players in their narrow victory over Torino this past weekend.
Samir Handanovic: 6.5/10
Samir Handanovic made a brilliant save to deny Armando Izzo in the second half. It was a vital stop that helped Inter remain in the game and eventually scrap for a point at the end. Other than the save, Handanovic wasn’t really asked to do much despite Torino’s forays going forward.
Milan Skriniar: 6/10
Milan Skriniar had trouble asserting control of the game without the services of his reliable defensive partner Stefan de Vrij. The defender got overwhelmed at times, thanks to the attacking influence of Josip Brekalo and Mergim Vojvoda.
Andrea Ranocchia: 4/10
Filling in for the injured de Vrij, Andrea Ranocchia produced a disastrous display at the heart of the Inter Milan backline. He struggled in dealing with the likes of Andrea Belotti and never looked in control of the proceedings.
DiMarco for Bastoni but Ranocchia stays in the game
Why ?
— Inter Ba (@inter_ba) March 13, 2022
Alessandro Bastoni: 5/10
Alessandro Bastoni struggled to deal with the threat of the Torino attackers, with Tommaso Pobega occasional causing menace inside the Inter half. Not the most convincing performance from the talented Italian centre-back.
Matteo Darmian: 5.5/10
Matteo Darmian was given the nod ahead of Denzel Dumfries which was not the best of ideas as the former Manchester United star offered very little creativity down the flanks. He was poor defensively as well, with Brekalo often causing menace.
Nicolo Barella: 5.5/10
Nicolo Barella crafted a few brilliant opportunities using his superior technical and creative prowess. But the Italian lacked consistency about his game, and his influence faded as the game progressed.
Matias Vecino: 4/10
Matias Vecino was asked to replace Marcelo Brozovic at the base of Inter’s 3-5-2. It was a steep task for the Uruguayan, who had very little game-time this season. Quite predictably, the midfielder struggled in gaining control of the proceedings and was subbed off midway through the second half.
This is a bizarre choice of formation & tactics by Simone. Straight swap of Vecino with Brozo as a regista has been a disaster. Completely overrun in midfield. At least Gagliardini offers somewhat defensive stability.
— Nima Tavallaey Roodsari (@NimaTavRood) March 13, 2022
Hakan Calhanoglu: 5.5/10
Hakan Calhanoglu looked dangerous with his deliveries from set-pieces. At the same time, the Turkish international gave away the ball on many occasions and simply wasn’t consistent enough.
Ivan Perisic: 5/10
Not the best of performances from Ivan Perisic, who had minimal impact on the proceedings. The ageing wide player was subbed off at half-time as Simone Inzaghi opted for more freshness out wide.
Lautaro Martinez: 5/10
Lautaro Martinez had an early attempt on goal saved brilliantly by Etrit Berisha. Other than that, the Argentine was poor, to say the least, as he struggled to impose his skills in the final third.
Lautaro is a 9. He shouldn't play second fiddle to Dzeko anymore. He isn't a second striker. Anyone who might foolishly disagree should check Argentina's last Copa win. He is far better as 9 with Sanchez and Correa supporting him
— IL DRAGO (@DragoInter) March 13, 2022
Edin Dzeko: 6/10
Edin Dzeko had a mixed game. The veteran striker showcased his game intelligence and experience to create space for himself while also offering key passes in and around the penalty area. However, he missed arguably the best chance of the game as he failed to find the target from a close-range header.
SUBSTITUTES
Robin Gosens: 5/10
Robin Gosens failed to make any tangible difference after coming on for Perisic at half-time. Needs more time to settle into Inzaghi’s tactical setup.
Federico Dimarco: 6/10
Federico Dimarco was more involved in the game than Gosens. He even created a chance going forward and had an attempt on goal denied by Berisha.
Alexis Sanchez: 7/10
Alexis Sanchez was the only positive for Inter Milan as he changed the dynamics of the game after coming on for Lautaro. He offered dynamism and grit in the final third and was rewarded with a late goal.
Edin Džeko picks up an assist in the dying moments between Torino – Inter. Wonderfully laid off for Alexis Sánchez, who converts to share the points. 1-1 full-time pic.twitter.com/EfZ5WBbzK7
— BH live ?? (@BHlive_official) March 13, 2022
Arturo Vidal: 5/10
Arturo Vidal couldn’t make much of a difference after coming on for Vecino midway through the second half.
Joaquin Correa: N/A
A late replacement for Calhanoglu. Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
