Inter midfielders Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella have come in for some praise for how they handled yesterday evening’s Champions League round of sixteen first leg against Porto.
The pair received scores of 7/10 and 6.5/10 respectively for their displays in the player ratings for the match published in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews.
Calhanoglu started in the deep-lying position of Inter’s midfield trio, and the Turk put in an outstanding display on both sides of the ball as Inter fans have become used to seeing.
The 29-year-old dictated the tempo despite the close attention of Otavio, and gave the Nerazzurri an advantage in a midfield battle against Marko Grujic and Mateus Uribe.
Meanwhile, Barella didn’t necessarily start the match at his best, as much of what the 26-year-old was trying did not come off.
However, as the second half wore on in particular, the former Cagliari midfielder’s endless energy and dynamism was crucial in forcing Porto back.