Marcelo Brozovic remains as untouchable as ever in Inter’s midfield, an Italian media report has highlighted today.
As per Gazzetta dello Sport’s online edition, Brozovic is such a constant for the Nerazzurri that it is almost easy to forget about him, but he has improved hugely since joining in 2015 and has passed all his tests, including the most recent one, or rather learning to share the pitch with Christian Eriksen.
Thanks to Luciano Spalletti’s decision to play the Croatian as a deep-lying playmaker, Brozovic was able to transform his fortunes at Inter and he has been a pivotal player in Antonio Conte’s side since he took charge 18 months ago.
While Brozovic does a lot on the ball, the report explained, his work off the ball perhaps goes a little underestimated, with the 28-year-old running the most of all players in Serie A on average each game.
Brozovic has also shown himself capable of changing his game to accommodate Eriksen, with stats showing he is touching the ball less than he used to when the Dane was on the bench.
Against Genoa, Brozovic was only sixth in Inter’s list of players who had the most touches with 63, while Eriksen was second (82) behind only Milan Skriniar (85).
During the previous home wins over Crotone and Bologna, which were similar styles of matches to Genoa, Brozovic touched the ball 83 and 87 times respectively, far more than any other player.
Brozovic has also shown good discipline, Gazzetta reminded readers, having played the last six games without picking up the booking which would have given him a one-match suspension.
While Conte’s midfield might appear to be increasingly in the hands of Eriksen, it is still in the hands of Brozovic as well, the Milan-based paper argued.
Epic Brozo has diversified his game and is no longer just a deep-lying playmaker, making him a player Inter cannot do without.