Inter Milan pair Matteo Darmian and Federico Dimarco have drawn praise for their tactical roles for Italy against Malta.
Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews. The newspaper particular highlights the way that each gave a display of their strengths in the match.
There is plenty of Inter representation in this Italian international team.
But one of the big questions has always been how the player fit in to the roles in the Azzurri setup when they tend to play a different formation for their club team.
Italy have continued to play with a back four under ex-Inter, Napoli, and Roma coach Luciano Spalletti.
And Inter virtually never deviate from a 3-5-2 under Simone Inzaghi.
This means that there are some adjustments for the players to make between setups. Particularly for the defenders.
But in the view of the Corriere, Darmian and Dimarco did so exceptionally well.
Darmian & Dimarco A Perfect Pairing In Italy Win Vs Malta
Both of Darmian and Dimarco are fairly versatile players.
Darmian can play on either side of the pitch, and can play as a fullback in a back four, wingback in a back five, or centre-back in a back three.
It has mostly been in the latter role that the 33-year-old has recently been playing for Inter.
Meanwhile, Dimarco is capable of playing on the left of a back three.
However, there is little doubt that the 25-year-old is most at home in a more attack-minded role down the left flank.
The two Inter players perfectly resolved these issues in their performances on opposite sides of Italy’s back four against Malta, the Gazzetta argues.
From Darmian, it was just a perfect no-nonsense display.
The former Manchester United and Torino veteran was not exactly marauding forward. But he took care of the ball well, got his positioning right all night, and was a rock defensively speaking.
Dimarco, on the other hand, bombed forward at well.
The Inter man’s attacking runs, proactive passing, and deliveries into the box were one of the Azzurri’s most potent weapons.
Between them, the Corriere argue, Darmian and Dimarco each did exactly what they do best. And they made it work in a back four system.