Inter are 11 points clear AC Milan top of the Serie A after Matteo Darmian scored the only goal of the game gifting the Nerazzurri their 11th consecutive win in the league.
Samir Handanovic – 6: One good save to make from Radja who looked like the only threat to Samir. Led the defensive line well and was always ready to start moves. Class.
Milan Skriniar – 6: Duncan got the better of him once or twice inside Cagliari’s half. Other than that, both him and Darmian secured the right flank well. Wall.
Stefan De Vrij – 6.5: De Vrij had a lot of the ball as Cagliari did not press Inter’s defense at all. Moved it well and tried to build a lot of moves. Unlucky to hit the cross bar.
Alessandro Bastoni – 6.5: Looked the most comfortable Inter player on the ball especially in the first half. The positioning in both phases is incredibly good. Passing is top class.
Matteo Darmian – 7.5: Brought in for Hakimi who has been a bit off the boil recently. Darmian did okay in the first half but raised his game to score the all-important goal.
Stefano Sensi – 6: So nice to see Sensi start a game for Inter. Needs more time to understand his teammates but when it clicked it always led to a chance being created.
Marcelo Brozovic – 6.5: Brozo had a week off and it showed in his play. Very enterprising and always wanted the ball. Under Conte his defensive work has been world class.
Christian Eriksen – 6: Slightly different role with Barella out. Did very well and on another day that first shot would have gone in. Looked in control and had a decent game.
Ashley Young – 5.5: Not much work to do defensively but Young spent most of his time in the Cagliari half. Did not have the ball in the right positions to make a difference.
Romelu Lukaku – 6: The team was unable to find Lukaku in the first half. Was double, triple marked all the time. Still managed to help Hakimi grab an important assist.
Alexis Sanchez – 5.5: All action on the ball and off the ball, nonstop running. Quality and quantity but could not make it count when it mattered. Gave it his 100% as always.
Lautaro Martinez – 6.5: Great sub to have on the bench. Came on and immediately caused the Cagliari defense a lot of trouble. Instrumental in all attacking moves. Il Toro.
Achraf Hakimi – 6.5: Hakimi off the boil? Not based on that performance. Came on and immediately lit the right flank on fire. Looked regal with the ball. Beautiful assist.
Matias Vecino – N/A: Another 10 mins or so for Vecino as he continued his comeback from knee surgery. Gave it his all and did not stop running till the end. Not much to do.
Roberto Gagliardini – N/A: As soon as Inter got the lead, Conte decided to throw Gagliardini and Vecino on to seal the game. Struggled a bit as Cagliari threw the kitchen sink.
Danilo D’Ambrosio – N/A: D’Ambrosio finally got some minutes as he continued his recovery from Covid. Looked very rusty but still managed to do the basics right as standard.
Antonio Conte – 6: After a week where Inter were accused of being an ugly, defensive team, Conte’s game plan was exactly opposite that. Good subs at the right time.
Luca Pairetto – 4.5: Serie A referees, always managing to annoy both teams and almost become the talking point of the game. So many minor mistakes to enlist. Poor.
Inter – 6: The stats say 1-0 but Inter should have been more cynical, especially in the first half where Cagliari sat back and gave up the initiative. Onwards.
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