Achraf Hakimi was the standout performer in a sub-par Inter Milan side that was held to a 1-1 draw by Spezia on Wednesday.
Inter Milan made a poor start to the game, with Diego Farias putting the hosts ahead with a superb finish from the edge of the box. That was to be the only shot Spezia attempted in the entire game, with the Nerazzurri then setting about pulling back on level terms. After a few near misses, the equaliser finally came six minutes ahead of half-time, courtesy Ivan Perisic.
The Croat needed a stroke of luck when the ball fell kindly to him right on the goal-line following a peach of a cross by Achraf Hakimi. Thereafter, Inter did have a few chances to pull ahead of Spezia, only to either be denied by the woodwork or poor finishing. But, with AC Milan losing to Sassuolo earlier in the day, the Serie A leaders still managed to stretch their lead to 10 points and The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Antonio Conte’s men.
Samir Handanovic: 5/10
The errors are starting to pile up for Handanovic. This time around, it was not one that was too evident, but having said that, the Inter Milan captain really should have done better to keep out Diego Farias’ effort. Not called into action even once thereafter.
Milan Skriniar: 6/10
A decent display by Skriniar, who did not put much of a foot wrong, although he could have maybe coordinated a bit better in the moments leading up to the goal scored by Farias. Managed to thread one brilliant long pass to create a chance for Lautaro Martinez, only for the Argentine to shoot straight at Ivan Provedel.
Stefan de Vrij: 6/10
Solid enough and ensured there were no slip-ups after conceding the early goal. Did reasonably well in the defensive phase and won 4 duels while completing 3 clearances as well. Completed more passes than any other player on the pitch (98).
Alessandro Bastoni: 6/10
Hardly called into action, with Spezia barely carrying a threat following their early goal. Moved up into midfield as a result and stitched the passes to help build up play. A quiet outing otherwise for the Italian international.
Achraf Hakimi: 7/10
The clear standout for Inter Milan, Hakimi was the major reason why they managed to share a point with Spezia. The turn and cross in a single motion was a moment of genius from Hakimi and really deserved an assist for that. Did let Farias cut in on his right foot, but that was the only misstep in a solid game for the Moroccan defender.
Nicolo Barella: 5/10
The player who usually makes a world of difference for Inter Milan, Barella was well off his best on Wednesday against Spezia, failing to provide that creative spark he usually brings to the plate while donning the Nerazzurri kit. Did complete 93 percent of his passes, but did not create a single chance and needs to step up.
Marcelo Brozovic: 6/10
Back in the starting lineup after having served out his suspension, Brozovic did well enough to wrest the control of the game away from Spezia. However, he was a bit too passive at times with the ball at his feet and could not manage to carve out even one key pass. A game to forget for the most part.
Christian Eriksen: 5.5/10
Another sub-par display by Eriksen, who could not make a whole lot of difference despite not being deployed as a deep-lying playmaker. The Dane did complete 85 percent of his passes, but very few of them carried a threat bar three half-chances. Has to start stepping up.
Ivan Perisic: 6/10
#SpeziaInter 1-1#Perisic (assist #Hakimi) pic.twitter.com/2h130ySWuj
— Inter Worldwide (@interworldwide_) April 21, 2021
The man who earned a point for Inter Milan on Wednesday. Perisic did have a stroke of luck before finishing with the simplest of tap-ins, but he did do well to be in the right place at the right time for the spill from Hakimi’s cross. Having said that, he was a tad bit wasteful with the ball at his feet, completing only 77 percent of his attempted passes.
Romelu Lukaku: 5/10
A rare poor performance by Lukaku, who ought to have buried his chance when strike partner Lautaro Martinez harried a Spezia defender into a mistake which sent him clean through on goal, only for him to take a touch too many. Each of his other efforts were off target, although Lukaku did play a game-high 5 key passes.
Lautaro Martinez: 5/10
A frustrating night for Martinez, who was denied by Provedel once before hitting the woodwork later on in the game on a couple of occasions. However, while he did show a lot of purpose with his shots, he let the initiative slip with poor passes, completing just 55 percent of his attempted efforts.
SUBSTITUTES
Ashley Young: 5/10
Barely involved after coming in for Perisic, Young was largely on the periphery as Spezia held on to hold Inter Milan to a 1-1 draw.
Alexis Sanchez: 6/10
Saw a fair bit of the ball after replacing Eriksen. Sent in a couple of dangerous crosses as well, but it did not make a difference in the end. Could not get into scoring positions, though.
