The emergence of Andre Onana over Samir Handanovic as Inter’s starting goalkeeper has already given Inter greater tactical versatility in possession.
This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who single out the 26-year-old’s accurate long kicks and more aggressive positioning as giving the Nerazzurri more weapons in building attacks.
Onana’s long distribution has already been seen on a few occasions this season, most notably for Robin Gosens’s goal against Barcelona in the Champions League, whilst Federico Dimarco also benefited from an excellent long kick to score against Atalanta last weekend.
Apart from the longer passing, Onana is also very proficient with the ball at his feet in tight spaces.
The Cameroonian tends to come off his line more than Handanovic does, and this has given the Nerazzurri more passing options in their own third of the pitch.
This has meant that the way that the team play as a whole can be smoother, and also that they can take advantage of counterattacking opportunities much more quickly.