Inter were practically perfect in their 5-0 demolition of Chievo, but who stood out in the Football Italia ratings?
Words: Greg Murray – @Muzza__G
Samir Handanovic – 6
Having signed a new contract this week, Inter’s Number 1 had a quiet game against Chievo. He was only really tested once, making a fine reaction save from an early Riccardo Meggiorini header.
Danilo D’Ambrosio – 6
Inter were practically perfect in their 5-0 demolition of Chievo, but who stood out in the Football Italia ratings?
Words: Greg Murray – @Muzza__G
Samir Handanovic – 6
Having signed a new contract this week, Inter’s Number 1 had a quiet game against Chievo. He was only really tested once, making a fine reaction save from an early Riccardo Meggiorini header.
Danilo D’Ambrosio – 6
The full-back operated as an auxiliary winger throughout, and has established a good relationship with Antonio Candreva in front of him. His tireless runs forwards opened up space on the right flank, but D’Ambrosio provided little in terms of actual attacking threat.
Andrea Ranocchia – 6
This could’ve been a difficult match for Inter’s former club captain to come in to, with Chievo playing on the counter, and without a defensive midfield shield. However, barring one clumsy tackle that earned him a yellow card, Ranocchia was reliable at the back, and had a number of scoring opportunities at the other end.
Milan Skriniar – 9
Despite being shifted over to the left-centre-back position to accommodate for Ranocchia, the Slovakian maintained his highly impressive form. Not content with just guarding his own goal, Skriniar burst forward to start a counter-attack, before continuing his run to score his third goal of the season.
Davide Santon – 7
The Italian has done well, considering he started the season as third choice left back. Santon’s confidence has increased with every game, as has his willingness to contribute offensively. Against Chievo, the Inter youth product started with a pinpoint cross to Candreva, before a providing the assist for the opening goal.
Borja Valero – 8
Having played as a Number 10 for the past few months, Valero was pushed back to his more familiar defensive midfield role. It didn’t take long for the Spaniard to prove why he operates much better as a ‘quarterback’ and he dictated play, pinging long passes and forming the link between the defence and attack. The former Fiorentina man proved his class with a technically perfect long-distance volley in extra-time, that, given his performance, deserved to ripple the back of the net.
Marcelo Brozovic – 8
Making his first start after almost a month out injured, Brozovic started the game alongside Borja Valero. It was only after he started interchanging with Joao Mario that the Croatian started to grow in the game, making a real impact in midfield, especially in the second half. It was Brozovic’s perfectly-weighted pass that provided the assist for Mauro Icardi’s goal, just the first of many defence-splitting balls that the midfielder made, including a second-hand-assist for Skriniar’s goal.
Antonio Candreva – 7
Another reliable performance from Candreva, who provided a well-weighted assist for Skriniar’s goal, but was visibly frustrated not to get on the score sheet himself. The Italian winger’s tireless running makes him the perfect player for Spalletti’s Inter, and if he is able to rediscover his shooting boots, he will surely win the fans over too.
Joao Mario – 7
The €40m man has certainly struggled to get into the starting XI, as it’s unclear where he fits into the line-up. Against Chievo, he had neither the spark and imagination of Brozovic or Borja Valero, nor the defensive stability that Matias Vecino or Roberto Gagliardini offer. This is not to say that Joao Mario had a bad game, and he linked up with Perisic throughout, facilitating the Croat’s best game of the season so far.
Ivan Perisic – 9
Hat-trick hero for Inter, Perisic was simply unstoppable against Chievo, and could easily have doubled his goal tally. The Croatian’s first saw him react well to a Stefano Sorrentino block, his second was a characteristic thunderbolt after a run down the wing, and the third a tidy finish after a scramble in the box. Icardi has not often been overshadowed this season, but Perisic’s individual performance was of the highest class this afternoon.
Mauro Icardi – 7
It was a quiet afternoon by Inter’s captain’s standard, but even so, Icardi scored his 10th goal in eight matches, taking him into first place in the Capocannoniere charts. The striker’s determination and movement meant he was a handful for Chievo throughout, and opened up space for his teammates to thrive.
Subs
Eder – N/A
Came on to give Icardi a rest, and was very quiet.
Dalbert – N/A
Entered the pitch late on, but looked confident on the ball, and provided a tidy cross.
Yann Karamoh – N/A
Had very little time to make an impact, but very nearly scored his first Serie A goal after a Dalbert cut-back.