Chelsea-owned Inter striker Romelu Lukaku has been named as the Nerazzurri’s outstanding performer in a 3-0 Serie A win over Empoli.
Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, awarded the Belgian an 8/10 score for his decisive second half display in the player ratings for the match published in today’s print edition, declaring that “The sleeping giant has awakened.”
Whilst Lukaku did not necessarily start yesterday’s match at his best, as the opening half hour saw the 29-year-old look a bit off in some of his first touches and layoffs, he gradually gained confidence and rhythm as the match wore on.
It did not take long for Lukaku to make an impact in the second half of the match, as he found the back of the net within the first few minutes after halftime.
From there, the Belgian started to look more and more like the player he had been during his first two seasons at Inter, shaking off his frustrating form and injury woes to culminate in a “trademark” goal for the Nerazzurri’s second.
Then, Lukaku capped it off by assisting Lautaro Martinez for the third goal to wrap up the result.
Martinez himself was given a 7/10 grade by the Gazzetta for his second half substitute appearance, full of energy and sharp in his finish to seal the points.
The same score was given to captain Samir Handanovic for a strong display in goal to preserve the Nerazzurri’s clean sheet, whilst midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and defender Stefan de Vrij were given scores just one notch below, 6.5/10.
The only discordant note for the Gazzetta was the performance of wingback Robin Gosens down Inter’s left flank.
The German didn’t really show the full range of his abilities as he was unable to make an impact in the final third, and Raoul Bellanova on the opposite side was more of an outlet.