Inter hosted Thiago Motta’s Genoa in what could have been a tricky game just before the Christmas and New year break.
Any mistakes would have meant that bitter rivals Juve would have command and breathing space at the top of Serie A, but Romelu and Sebastiano other ideas.
Samir Handanovic – 6.5: His defenders made it very easy for him. Had to make one difficult save by his standards and class goalkeepers usually do that. Lazaro stay away.
Milan Skriniar – 6.5: One bad pass but as always, very reliable to keep any attack quiet. Important to have him against Napoli as he is one booking away from suspension.
Stefan de Vrij – 7: Amazing consistency. De Vrij has been one of the cornerstones and performances like these are the reason. Pinamonti never really troubled him.
Alessandro Bastoni – 7: Playing at this level at this young age is a good sign. Inter have a gem in their hands and need to nurture him to greatness. It helps that he is left footed as well.
Antonio Candreva – 7.5: A breath of fresh air on the right wing. Inter looked extra dangerous with his dynamism. Two assists to Lukaku and more importantly from 2 great moves.
Matias Vecino – 7: Vecino provided that extra bit of quality as the opponent was not of the highest level. Great involvement all throughout which is something new.
Borja Valero – 7: Never looked tired or under pressure in the first half. Ran a lot and ensured the ball ticked over. Conte’s methods have turned back time.
Roberto Gagliardini – 7.5: Gagliardini surely loves playing against Genoa. Looked like he knew he was going to score. Caused havoc in Genoa’s defence at will. Positive game.
Cristiano Biraghi – 6.5 : Much better performance, if only Cristiano could produce it against better opponents. Ran out of steam after an hour but it was a quality night.
Sebastiano Esposito – 7: What a way to show up to your first game as a starter in the Serie A. Never stopped running and working. Fully deserved his goal. Another gem that needs to be taken care of.
Romelu Lukaku – 8.5: Two quality goals, one quality assist and one fantastic gesture which warmed the hearts of millions of Interisti around the world. Champion and a class act.
Stefano Sensi – 6.5: The cherry on the cake in that victory. To see Sensi fit and running is another nice thought to have over the holidays. Looked hungry for a goal.
Valentino Lazaro – 5: Perhaps the only negative from the night .Lazaro has been a liability all season defensively. He doesn’t even seem confident going forward,
Federico Dimarco – N/A: Not much to do for Dimarco. Came on to replace a tired Biraghi and by then the game was already won. Nice to see the youngster get some minutes.
Antonio Conte – 7: The first 10 minutes were all about reading Genoa. Once his team raised their tempo, Genoa were done and dusted. Will go into the break very happy.
Luca Pairetto – 5: Poor use of VAR. Romero should and could have been sent off. Also should have awarded Inter another penalty. Another poor Italian referee, who also happens to be the brother of a current Juventus director as well as the son of a former Serie A referee designator who was banned for his involvement in the Calciopoli scandal. In other words: Business as usual in the Serie A.
Inter – 7.5: A superb performance against a sub standard opponent. Inter usually struggle in these games but not on the night. Injured players coming back is another positive.
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