Inter played Chievo at the San Siro today in what was probably the most electrifying game of the season. Even though Chievo wasn’t in top shape in regards to very poor possession and passing game Inter was able to prove a point. Inter made it very clear to the rest of the league and especially their upcoming opponents Juve that they’re here to play and here to stay. So much went right today in a game where so much could have potentially gone wrong.
With Miranda and Gagliardini suspended plus an injured Vecino, we saw Spalletti make changes that could’ve impacted the game very differently. Borja Valero remained neutral in that holding mid field position which he played perfectly, always showing himself as an option in the holes which facilitates the task of our center backs building passes. Borja played alongside Joao Mario, a player who can be very promising but seems to be lacking a bit of confidence in front of goal but besides that didn’t have a terrible game but he could have done more in regards to finishing his early one on one with the keeper. Finally to complete the midfield, the likes of Marcelo Brozovic, very simple and smart player who played a near perfect game, he should definitely start against Juve considering he’s not afraid and very able to shoot from distance which will be key to beating Juventus.
Finally, in the back we saw Ranocchia replace suspended Miranda in what many Inter fans may have been very worried about all though it was very clear that Ranocchia has been enchanted by the Spalletti effect. The center back played very well defensively and surprisingly even got his fair share of goal scoring opportunities off several set pieces. The back line also saw Santon again who seems to be have become a regular playing the majority of the game on the left until Dalbert came on pushing him on the right.
Finally if we look up top we see the original three with Perisic Icardi and Candreva. Regardless of the fact that Icardi scored, he had a rather slow game doing most of his work off the ball. His ability to peel off defenders, especially when being double marked, allows threatening overlaps by Candreva and Perisic which was one of the contributing factors to Perisic’s hat-trick. Karamoh was also given playing time which saw him miss a golden opportunity, all though he didn’t play much and missed a goal scoring chance his progression with Inter is becoming very evident.
Spalletti used his subs to give Dalbert and Karamoh a chance. Inter showed a lot of depth today by being able to dominate Chievo while also missing three key starters and seeing two new faces. The depth can reassure fans that Inter do have the squad to compete for the top spot in the league and if they beat Juventus, the Scudetto will truly be possible.
