Inter have shown real signs of life going into the Milan derby, with midfielder Nicolo Barella sparking them with a display against Cremonese that finally showed everything that he’s capable of.

This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who praise the 25-year-old for turning up in a match where the Nerazzurri absolutely needed three points to respond to Friday’s loss to Lazio and get the wind back in their sails.

Inter had plenty of standout performers on the night against Cremonese, including midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, wingback Denzel Dumfries, and forwards Joaquin Correa, Edin Dzeko, and substitute Lautaro Martinez.

However, it was Barella who stole the show, really taking the game by the scruff of the neck to make sure that the Nerazzurri would not fail to turn their dominance of possession into the needed result.

The 25-year-old had not been at his best in any of the Nerazzurri’s previous three Serie A matches this campaign, but produced a statement performance to drive the team to a win as they go into the first Milan derby of the season on Saturday.

A goal and an assist, as well as playing a decisive role in the team’s opener, only scratch the surface of the Cagliari midfielder’s decisive influence on proceedings.

The team as a whole also looked confident and as aggressive as they needed to be to secure the win, a positive sign after the major setback at the Stadio Olimpico less than a week ago.

However, it was Barella in particular who really seemed to announce that he’s woken up for the season, and it could hardly have come a moment too soon in view of the important fixtures on the way.