Milan Skriniar’s defensive display for Inter against Atalanta was just as important as his goal, a report in the Italian media argued today.
The Slovak took all the headlines in this morning’s papers after scoring the only goal of the match last night, taking the Nerazzurri six points clear at the top of Serie A.
But Gazzetta dello Sport’s print edition wished to praise Skriniar for his rock-solid display at the back as well.
“If Antonio Conte made another stride towards the Scudetto against Atalanta then he does owe it to Skriniar’s goal, yes, but also to his application when marking Duvan Zapata,” the Milan-based paper argued.
“Marking him as just as draining as marking Romelu Lukaku for opponents.”
Atalanta hadn’t conceded away from home in Serie A for 413 minutes before Skriniar breached their resistance shortly after half-time.
Inter’s decision not to sell Skriniar to Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur last summer, the report noted, was a pivotal moment in their season.
“If Alessandro Bastoni is the left-footer who starts moves, and if Stefan de Vrij is the central defender who governs, Skriniar is the pure hard man-marker, with a bit of attacking licence too,” Gazzetta explained.
“In a game that was all about resistance, he came out of the trenches at the right moment and got his unexpected award at the other end.”
Inter’s physicality at set pieces is frequently decisive for Conte’s side, the report added, as shown by their goal from a corner last night.
The Nerazzurri can now enjoy another week six points clear of AC Milan thanks to their own ‘Milan’.
