Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Darmian and Alexis Sanchez get on the scoresheet as Inter Milan secure an easy 3-0 win over Genoa on Sunday.
Inter Milan further solidify their place at the top of the Serie A table with a convincing 3-0 win over Genoa at home. The result helps them extend their lead to seven points, with AC Milan facing a tricky test against AS Roma later this evening.
Antonio Conte’s men had a dream start to the game, with Romelu Lukaku scoring the opener within the first minute. It shattered the gameplan of the opposition, who wanted to keep the forward quiet throughout the proceedings. But on the contrary, Lukaku flourished in the final third as Inter put all sorts of pressure on the Genoa defence.
Mattia Perrin had an excellent game for the visitors, repeatedly denying the hosts from scoring the second and keeping his side in the contest. However, Inter eventually found the breakthrough in the 69th minute, thanks to Matteo Darmian before another ex-Manchester United star in Alexis Sanchez applied the finishing touches in the 77th minute.
The win will go a long way in helping Inter Milan move one step closer towards securing an unassailable lead at the top. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at how their players performed in this convincing triumph over Genoa this weekend.
Samir Handanovic: 6/10
Samir Handanovic didn’t have too much to do as Genoa failed to create many notable scoring opportunities. He will be happy with his clean sheet, though, as the Inter goalkeeper continues his good run in between the sticks, following a rocky start to the campaign. He was solid with his overall distribution play as well.
Milan Skriniar: 7/10
Milan Skriniar was a vital cog in Inter Milan’s build-up game, as usual. The centre-back often marched forward, delivering useful forward passes and winning important headers in and around the defensive third. He wasn’t quite challenged defensively though, with Genoa failing to produce any promising goalscoring opportunities.
Stefan de Vrij: 7.5/10
Operating at the heart of Inter’s three-man backline, Stefan de Vrij remained composed in his defending, notably winning all of his physical and aerial duels. His leadership and experience were indeed vital in helping Inter keep the likes of Marko Pjaca and Gianluca Scamacca at bay this evening.
17-1 – #Inter have won six of their last seven games in #SerieA (D1), scoring 17 goals and conceding only once in the process. Sprint.#InterGenoa pic.twitter.com/gial3joDmG
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) February 28, 2021
Alessandro Bastoni: 7/10
Alessandro Bastoni did what he does best – offering excellent ball-progress thanks to his ability to make driving runs into midfield. Didn’t exactly have a poor game, but was dispossessed more often than his central defensive teammates, which is understanding as the youngster was operating significantly higher.
Matteo Darmian: 8/10
Filling in for the suspended Achraf Hakimi, Matteo Darmian put on quite a show in the right wing-back slot. The Italian was relentless with his offensive services, moving up and down the pitch to terrorise the opposing defenders. Scored the second goal as well, which was crucial in helping Inter get a grip on the proceedings.
#InterGenoa 2-0#Darmian (assist #Lukaku) pic.twitter.com/3AuTWsJJx4
— Inter Worldwide (@interworldwide_) February 28, 2021
Nicolo Barella: 8.5/10
Initially, a doubt heading into this game, Nicolo Barella had a brilliant outing in the middle of the park. He was the main ball-carrier for the home side, using his nimble footwork and excellent technical quality to help his team navigate through Genoa’s second line of press.
In addition, the midfielder looked dangerous from range, notably rattling the bar from distance. Certainly one of the best performers in this convincing win for the Nerazzurri.
Marcelo Brozovic: 8/10
Marcelo Brozovic operated as the hub of the Inter Milan midfield, as one would normally expect. The Croat played an instrumental role in helping his side slowly dominate possession after the early goal, giving the opposition very little room or opportunity to stage a comeback at any point of the game. Also attained a pass completion rate of 92%, with seven accurate long balls.
Christian Eriksen: 7/10
Christian Eriksen was once again given the nod ahead of Arturo Vidal and Roberto Gagliardini in the middle of the park. The Dane, unfortunately, was outshone by his teammates in Brozovic and Barella. He also looked uncomfortable operating in a deeper role rather than the number ten position, although he did provide a couple of excellent forward passes.
Ivan Perisic: 7.5/10
Ivan Perisic offered some promising movements, at times, on the left-hand side. One of his forward balls that led to the third goal was particularly impressive, although the former Bayern Munich man did lack consistency in his game. He was eventually replaced late in the game, as Conte opted for more defensive solidity.
What a great job Antonio Conte has done with Ivan Perisic.
Pwrisic has done really well as a left wing-back and strived in this role. A beautiful cross from Perisic to setup Inter’s third goal vs Genoa.
He’s looked comfortable and has been really effective on that left side.— Jerry Mancini (@jmancini8) February 28, 2021
Romelu Lukaku: 9/10
Romelu Lukaku is the undisputed man of the match for Inter Milan in this game. He was simply a menace for the Genoa defence, with his physicality, aggression and willingness to find the back of the net. He notably had five attempts on goal in the first half, two more than what the opposition managed throughout the game.
Aside from his involvement, the early goal Lukaku scored was vital to Inter’s win while the ex-Manchester United star was also involved in the second goal, as he registered the assist for Darmian. Also had one attempt saved by Perrin late on, the rebound of which went straight to Sanchez.
Romelu Lukaku's game by numbers vs. Genoa:
41 touches
25 passes
10 touches in the opp. box
7 shots
5 shots on target
4 chances created
1 assist
1 goalRom is unstoppable right now. ? pic.twitter.com/hNJCTz5Y7X
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 28, 2021
Lautaro Martinez: 7.5/10
Lautaro Martinez wasn’t as impressive as Lukaku, but he did offer useful support. His pass to release the Inter forward was particularly important in finding the early opener. Lacked penetration, but a decent offensive display overall from the young Argentine sensation.
Substitutes
Alexis Sanchez: 8/10
Alexis Sanchez came on for Lautaro during the final phase of the game. He immediately made an impact by scoring the third with an easy header inside the box. Quite impactful, to say the least.
Roberto Gagliardini: 6.5/10
Roberto Gagliardini replaced Brozovic to add more energy in the middle of the park. Didn’t have any problems seeing the game out in the final 15 minutes.
Ashley Young: N/A
A late replacement for Perisic. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Danilo D’Ambrosio: N/A
A late replacement for Darmian. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Arturo Vidal:
A late replacement for Barella. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
