Inter Milan could not capitalise on the chance to close the gap with Juventus as a potential title decider went in favour of the defending champions.
This game was probably Inter Milan’s best chance to bridge the distance between themselves and Juventus, but they threw it in vain. Maurizio Sarri’s men were playing a very important game behind closed doors due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and this should’ve have been when Romelu Lukaku & co. hit the hammer.
Juventus changed the pace early in the second half after a rather bland first period from both teams. This change of pace got the better of the Inter’s defence as they conceded two goals before the clock struck 70 minutes.
Aaron Ramsey first buried the ball home with the help of Cristiano Ronaldo, and then Paulo Dybala hit the final nail in the coffin with a splendid solo goal. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule of Antonio Conte’s men.
Samir Handanovic: 7/10
Inter Milan’s Captain Fantastic could only do so much in the first half to keep Juventus at bay, making 3 crucial saves, two of which were right out the top drawer. However, Handanovic could not add to those 3 saves he made in the first 45 minutes, and was at the mercy of the defending champions who scored twice to seal the win.
Milan Skriniar: 5.5/10
The man who has been incredibly consistent under Conte underperformed massively as he came up against the likes of Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain. Skriniar was quite lucky to not get sent off, committing 5 fouls, 4 of which came after he received a yellow card. Was barely able to complete his long passes and was also the reason of quite a few turnovers as a consequence.
Stefan de Vrij: 6/10
Stefan de Vrij is always Skriniar’s partner in crime, and this is probably why they both underperformed on Sunday in a very crucial game. The Dutch international made no successful tackles against Juventus; the one he did attempt ended up as a foul. He was, however, able to successfully defend two set-pieces, making headed clearances from both.
Alessandro Bastoni: 6.5/10
Bastoni was chosen to start this fixture over Diego Godin to probably combat the pace of Douglas Costa. In all fairness, he was much more defensively involved as compared to his central defensive partners. He made 2 successful tackles and a block on a Ronaldo shot, which was taken quickly. The 20-year-old was also able to complete 2 key passes in the form of long balls as well.
Antonio Candreva: 7.5/10
33-year-old Candreva was Inter’s best attacker on Sunday, constantly providing an option from the right flank. The Italian international also registered 4 key passes, the most of any Inter player. Candreva’s attacking efforts were almost useless, though, as he was not being supplemented properly by either Lautaro Martinez or Romelu Lukaku.
Matias Vecino: 6/10
In a game wherein Conte could have started either one of Christian Eriksen or Alexis Sanchez to break the high press lines of Juventus, he chose Vecino. The Uruguyuan failed to live up to the task, though, barely making a contribution in any form. He lost 6 out of 8 ground duels and miscued 3 shots from good positions. To top it off, he also lost possession 11 times.
Marcelo Brozovic: 8/10
Brozovic has been one of Europe’s most consistent holding midfielders this season. In a campaign where his fellow midfielders have been quite inconsistent, Brozovic has always come up with the goods. Inter Milan’s only shot on target today was from the Croat in the first half.
The 27-year-old was also responsible for winning back possession on 5 accounts and played 2 key passes. A clear standout in a desperately sub-par team.
Nicolo Barella: 6/10
On any other day, Barella would have probably run the show against a midfield as stagnant as the one Juventus started. However, he did not come up clutch on Sunday. Barella had one of the worst passing rates in the game with 74%. Moreover, he committed 3 fouls in just 59 minutes on the pitch. Such an abject display saw him come off playing less than two thirds of the game.
Ashley Young: 6/10
Young had a lot to do in the first half, and he registered 3 interceptions in a high energy first half. But, in the second period, the ex-Manchester United man was made to look miserably by Paulo Dybala, who turned him inside out on 2 occasions in one move.
To make matters worse, Young completed none of his crosses, and was only able to pull off one 1 long pass out of 5. A performance like this will remind him of his game against Barcelona for Manchester United last season.
Romelu Lukaku: 6/10
Lukaku is Conte’s go-to man for goals, but he came up short against Juventus. It was quite surprising that the Italian manager took him off for Alexis Sanches, when he could have very well tried to play them together to create something. It was not to be for Belgium’s top scorer, who failed to take a single shot on Sunday. Nearly invisible.
Lautaro Martinez: 7/10
The 22-year-old seemed like a lone wolf in most parts of the game. He had to drop extremely deep to collect the ball and start off the moves, something Barella should have been doing. Martinez won a free-kick in a dangerous part of the field for Inter early in the game, but hit the wall with the attempt. The Argentine was quite isolated, though, and was only able to complete 10 passes.
SUBSTITUTES
Christian Eriksen: 6/10
Eriksen should have been a starter in this game, in any situation. The decision to leave him on the bench was an uninformed one by Conte, and he paid for it. The Danish midfielder came on for Barella, but did not get enough time to change the game. He took 1 shot which sailed over the crossbar. Needs more starts.
Alexis Sanchez: 5/10
Sanchez came on to play only 13 minutes of the game, and in that time he attempted 6 passes, misplacing 2 of them. He also lost possession 3 times even though he took only 8 touches of the ball. Underwhelming.
Roberto Gagliardini: 5.5/10
It was a strange decision to bring Gagliardini on for Candreva, who was easily Inter’s best attacker in the game. He played 8 successful passes, and that is the only thing in his highlight reel.
