Inter Milan swept aside AS Roma to climb up to the second spot on the Serie A table after scoring away from home in the 18th consecutive away match.
Inter Milan may have started the season in a surprisingly slow manner, but they have picked up the pace and now look destined to mount a challenge for the title. A sweeping win over AS Roma signalled their serious intent in the Serie A race.
Goals from Hakan Calhanoglu, Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries set the tone for the game. The victory let Inter Milan climb up to the second spot on the table, and Simone Inzaghi will now hope to maintain a sustained challenge against AC Milan and Napoli.
Furthermore, Napoli’s narrow defeat to Atalanta means the positions remain fixed heading into the next matchday, with the Milan clubs ousting the Partenopei from the top spot. Inzaghi will need to keep his team fit for the season if they are to think about retaining the title seriously,
In all, a win over top-four hopefuls Roma will be good for Inter’s confidence and bad for Jose Mourinho, as the pressure mounts on the Portuguese. A loss might be bad for the Giallorossi, but the manner in which Inter dispatched them might hurt their morale, leaving their top four hopes hanging in the balance. Here’s how Inter Milan’s players fared against Roma.
18 – Inter have scored in 18 #SerieA away games in a row: they equalled their record set between October 1950 and September 1951. Corsair.#RomaInter
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) December 4, 2021
Samir Handanovic: 6/10
Handanovic might have been the happiest player on the field, having had to do nothing throughout the encounter. Much of the credit for such a comfortable evening should go to Roma’s attackers, who barely threatened all game.
Danilo D’Ambrosio: 6/10
D’Ambrosia started in place of Stefan de Vrij as Inzaghi’s utility man, and he did a fine job keeping Shomurodov quiet for most parts.
Milan Skriniar: 6.5/10
The leader of the pack, Skriniar was unshakable at the back, with Shomurodov and other Roma attackers left frustrated. The Slovak remains a trusted player under Inzaghi and will be key in the title chase.
Alessandro Bastoni: 8/10
Skriniar is everyone of us when we saw that Bastoni cross pic.twitter.com/8JhHYQPD61
— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) December 4, 2021
Bastoni turned up and was the best of the lot at the back. Another of Inzaghi’s trusted stars, the centre-back, keeps growing in stature, even in terms of attacking the ball forward. His incredible assist for Dumfries’ goal was proof of the defender’s talents with the ball at his feet.
Denzel Dumfries: 7/10
The Dutchman was meant to be Hakimi’s replacement and is slowly showing the characteristics in that aspect. He made a stunning block off Vina’s shot while sealing the victory for Inter with a good finish for their third.
Nicolo Barella: 5/10
Barella played under the shadow of his midfield colleagues and worked hard for sure. However, his display was ineffective at best, and Inzaghi’s decision to haul him off early in the second half was understandable.
Hakan Calhanoglu: 8/10
Hakan Calhanoglu has now scored five goals for Inter in Serie A this season.
He’s just scored direct from a corner against Jose Mourinho’s Roma side. ? pic.twitter.com/4GPiwKBu3Q
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 4, 2021
A terrific performance from the Turkish star, with a goal and an assist to his name. He scored directly from a corner, which was incredible, and then followed up with a brilliant assist for Dzeko’s strike.
Ivan Perisic: 7/10
Perisic is growing in the wing-back role, and the Croat proved crucial to attacking the ball. He provided some telling crosses from the left-hand side and played a big part in the second goal.
Joaquin Correa: 6/10
Correa had a decent outing, proving to be a good alternative to Martinez upfront with Dzeko until a muscular injury forced him out. He has been key in Inzaghi’s plans, and his absence will be felt at some point in the next few games.
Edin Dzeko: 7/10
There was no celebration for Dzeko after scoring against his former side. The Bosnian looked like he could have scored a couple more as he kept knocking on the door and kept the Roma defenders on their toes.
119 goals for Roma
85 goals for Wolfsburg
72 goals for Man City
60 goals for Bosnia
11 goals for Inter
Bundesliga winner
Premier League winner
Bosnia's record goalscorer & appearance holderEdin Džeko – arguably one of the most underrated strikers of his generation. pic.twitter.com/wpKCfhOwK1
— bet365 (@bet365) December 4, 2021
SUBSTITUTES
Alexis Sanchez: 5/10
Sanchez looked lively after coming on and could have scored a few had he kept his shots on target.
Arturo Vidal: 6/10
Inzaghi wanted a change from Barella in the match and replaced him with Vidal. The Chilean kept things tight in the midfield, never losing control or showing lapses. A decent outing for the experienced midfielder.
Matias Vecino: N/A
He did not have much to do and did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Federico Dimarco: N/A
Dimarco came on to add fresh legs and did not play enough to get a rating.
Stefano Sensi: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
