Edin Dzeko was the star man as Inter Milan dug deep to secure a much-needed 2-1 win away to Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium on Saturday.
Sandwiched between the double header against Barcelona, Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi was forced to ring in the changes against Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium.
The much-changed Nerazzurri side were put under siege for large portions of the game as Sassuolo kicked into top gear from kick-off. Heroics from Andre Onana coupled with some wayward finishing by Sassuolo saw the scores stay level early on.
The deadlock was broken in the 41st minute when Edin Dzeko reacted quickly to volley home the opener and give the visitors the lead. It was the Bosnian’s 100th Serie A goal and a much-needed one for Inter.
They were, however, unable to hold onto the lead as David Frattesi drew the home side level after the hour mark. Perhaps against the run of play, Substitute Henrkih Mkhitaryan combined with Dzeko for the latter to fire Inter back into the lead in the 75th minute.
Get in! Hard-fought welcome 3 points 💪 🎯#ForzaInter #SassuoloInter (FT) pic.twitter.com/eBrPDiZ62K
— Inter (@Inter_en) October 8, 2022
This time, the Nerazzurri did not let their lead slip, holding on for a much-needed win. The result takes Inter above Sassuolo in the Serie A standings and gives them a platform to reignite a second-half title push.
Sassuolo were arguably the better side on the night but Inter were the ones who took their opportunities. With back-to-back wins now under their belt, Inzaghi and co. can travel to Camp Nou with renewed confidence. The Hard Tackle looks at how the Inter Milan players fared against Sassuolo.
Andre Onana: 7/10
The Cameroonian goalkeeper kept his spot ahead of Samir Handanovic and was called into action early on in the game. He did well to save from Davide Frattesi at his near post in the fourth minute, keeping the visitors in the game.
Onana was called into action once again in first-half stoppage time, this time denying Armand Lauriente with his feet. He was finally beaten in the 60th minute when Davide Frattesi caught the Inter defence napping to power the ball in. It was largely a Serie A debut to remember for the shot-stopper.
Danilo D’Ambrosio: 5/10
Lauriente gave him a difficult time on the night and came out on top on numerous occasions. He earned himself a yellow for another tackle on the Sassuolo man in the second half, forcing Inzaghi to take D’Ambrosio off for Milan Skriniar before the hour mark.
Francesco Acerbi: 6/10
The veteran was largely ineffective in a backline that lacked conviction in the first half. Acerbi did, however, hold his own and did not make any personal errors in the game.
Alessandro Bastoni: 6/10
The Italian was not as solid as he would have liked and did not quite enjoy the same performance he showed against Barcelona. Emil Konradsen Ceide gave him the slip on a few occasions and only a slip prevented the Sassuolo man from scoring in the first half.
Denzel Dumfries: 6/10
The Dutchman returned to the starting XI and was among the Nerazzurri’s better players. He presented two goalscoring opportunities on a platter for Lautaro Martinez only for the Argentine to spurn both.
Nicolo Barella: 6/10
Barella faking a head injury to stop Sassuolo’s attack is both disgusting and dangerous.
He is putting the wellbeing of his colleagues at danger by abusing the trust of the ref.— Orsato Fan (@Saeed_Juventino) October 8, 2022
The Italian was called into action to make a block in the fourth minute following Onana’s save from Frattesi. The loose ball fell to Lauriente who tried to power the ball home but could only see his effort go wide off Barella’s face. This saw him playact to a degree to give his side a breather against Sassuolo’s relentless pressure. Barella was taken off in the 84th minute as Inzaghi looked to see out the game.
Kristjan Asllani: 4/10
The Albanian struggled to make the most of his start and was largely powerless to stem Sassuolo’s dominance in midfield. He also earned himself a yellow card for a pull on Emil Konradsen Ceide, his standout moment of the game. It came as no surprise that Inzaghi pulled Asllani at half-time, bringing on Henrikh Mkhitaryan in histead.
Hakan Calhanoglu: 5/10
The Turkish international failed to channel in his performance against Barcelona and was a passenger in the Inter midfield. Calhanoglu never quite got into the game and was uninspiring in possession.
Federico Dimarco: 4/10
It was a forgetful night for the Italian who struggled to impose himself at either end of the pitch. Dimarco also failed to provide his usually dangerous set pieces and was taken off in the 68th minute for Matteo Darmian.
Lautaro Martinez: 5/10
The Argentine striker never quite clicked into top gear and played second fiddle to Dzeko. Martinez saw a golden opportunity go wide in the first half before forcing Andrea Consigli into a spectacular save in the 75th minute. He offered little otherwise.
Edin Dzeko: 8/10
36 & 205 – Edin Dzeko (36 years and 205 days) is now the oldest player to have scored 2+ goals with Inter in a Serie A match, overtaking Sinisa Mihajlovic in 2005 against AS Roma. Habitual.#SassuoloInter pic.twitter.com/bABQSB5LSZ
— OptaPaolo 🏆 (@OptaPaolo) October 8, 2022
The Bosnian striker was a constant thorn in the Sassuolo defence’s side and gave Ferrari a tough time. He put his Sassuolo counterpart’s name to the test by outpacing him in the 21st minute and forcing him into a yellow card-worthy foul. Dzeko gave the visitors Inter just before half-time when he volleyed in Dumfries’s cross as the Sassuolo defence remained static.
The first-half strike was Dzeko’s 100th Serie A goal, writing another chapter in what has been an illustrious career. He made it 101 in the second half, guiding home Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s cross to secure his side a much-needed win. Dzeko almost got himself a hat-trick in the second minute of stoppage time, only for Consigli to keep the scoreline respectable.
SUBSTITUTES
Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 6.5/10
The veteran was a massive improvement over Asllani and gave Inter a foothold at the base of their midfield. Mkhitaryan showed good awareness to find Dzeko with a pinpoint cross in the 75th minute, earning himself the game-winning assist in the process.
Milan Skriniar: 6/10
The Slovak was brought on just moments before Sassuolo equalised and helped Inter hold their nerve thereafter. His presence helped the Nerazzurri defend their second goal and secure the win.
Matteo Darmian: 6/10
Darmian offered more solidity on the left-hand side, something that gave Inter an advantage following Dzeko’s second goal.
Roberto Gagliardini: N/A
The midfielder replaced Barella in the 84th minute as Inter Milan sought to see the game out.
