When the going gets tough, the tough get going, certainly describes Samir Handanovic who has had a largely uneventful Serie A season so far. He has rarely been challenged to the level that Lazio’s attackers did last night and he passed the test with flying colors.

D’Ambrosio had Inter’s only shot on target in the first half and he made it count. Inter went into half time in the lead and then took control with the right subs and the right blend of experience and youth to keep the 2 point advantage over Juventus. Lets see how each player fared:

Samir Handanovic – 8: World class save after world class save. After 4 relatively easy Serie A games, he managed to produce the goods when needed. Unbeatable.

Diego Godin – 6.5:  Looked a bit jaded in the first half, but those small mistakes didn’t cost us much. Kept the pressure high with early tackles and physicality for 90 minutes.

Stefan de Vrij – 8: Plays the policeman to perfection. Whenever Skriniar/Godin make a rare false step he is there to cover up and stop any mishap. Severly under-rated.

Milan Skriniar – 7: Steady as usual. Has added passing ability to the list of his talents.One mistake in 108 touches of the ball shows how much he’s adapted to Conteball.

Danilo D’Ambrosio – 7: Street smart to put Inter ahead in a tactical chess match in the first half. Defensively he is always one step ahead, but this goal is worth double.

Nicolo Barella – 7: Nicolo looks confident and able. Makes some rash challenges but that will change with experience. Should have scored that chance he created.

Marcelo Brozovic – 6.5: Not his usual masterful self as Lazio harried him. His passing was not the usual pinpoint accurate especially going forward. Defensively did his bit.

Matias Vecino – 5: Did he even play in the first half? Just making up the numbers. Apart from a catchy flick he was missing for  most of the 56 minutes he played. Poor.

Cristiano Biraghi – 6.5:  What a great assist on his return to Inter! Provided defensive stability throughout and now some competition to Asamoah is here. Simple is best.

Romelu Lukaku – 6: Tried to get involved a lot more even in midfield while making his presence felt. He is also growing into the system. Tired as the game went on.

Matteo Politano – 6:  Too easily bullied by the Lazio defenders, his touch eluded him in the first half. Made himself more of a menace in the 2nd half. Always gives 100%.

Stefano Sensi – 6.5: The difference he makes was clearly visible. Once he was on it was like we had safe on the pitch, just give the ball to him and he will make it happen.

Lautaro Martinez – 6: Made great impact when he came on, gave the Lazio defence a fresh new headache to deal with. Just like Barella should have scored that chance.

Alexis Sanchez – N/A: Loved the hunger from Alexis to get on the ball to create havoc. Used his experience to run down the clock, a basic skill that has been missing at Inter.

Antonio Conte – 6: Antonio wouldn’t be happy tonight with the performance especially in the first half. Inter did better in the second half and should have won by more goals

Fabio Maresca – 3: Refused to blow any 50-50’s for Inter. Ended the first half 10 seconds earlier when Inter were on a good looking counter. Another poor Italian referee.

Inter – 6: Not convincing but still managing to win is good, but we shouldn’t make this a habit. The second half was much better especially after Sensi came on.

Agree? Disagree? Does Vecino deserve a place in this squad? What can he contribute? Is Politano better of the bench? Please let us know below or over our social media.

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