Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has been named as man of the match in Inter Milan’s Serie A win over Atalanta yesterday evening.
Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, gave the Turk a grade of 7.5/10 player ratings for the match.
Calhanoglu was the player who opened the scoring yesterday evening at the Gewiss Arena.
The 29-year-old former AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen man’s all-important opener came from the penalty spot.
However, Calhanoglu had also played a passive role in winning the penalty.
It was the Turkish international who found ex-Manchester United and Torino defender Matteo Darmian in the penalty area with an inch-perfect through-ball.
Then La Dea keeper Juan Musso brought Darmian down.
Calhanoglu is Inter’s first-choice penalty-taker. And he showed why that is with the ensuing spot kick.
The Inter midfielder’s effort was virtually unsaveable, straight into the side of the net.
Not Just The Penalty – Hakan Calhanoglu Ran The Show For Inter Vs Atalanta
In the view of the Gazzetta, however, Calhanoglu’s impact was far more than just his penalty goal.
That goal was in fact just the tip of the iceberg.
Calhanoglu’s influence was key for Inter not getting overrun in midfield.
The Turk was always the players who made himself available in a pocket of space, away from the intense Atalanta pressure.
This meant that Calhanoglu had the chance to put his foot on the ball and calm the game down.
And then the former Rossoneri midfielder’s technical quality and passing range shone.
Calhanoglu was the player who controlled the tempo and kept Inter’s possession game going.
This was a perfect demonstration of why the 29-year-old has become Inter’s first-choice option in the regista role.
Out of possession, too, Calhanoglu showed the tenacity that has become the hallmark of his game just as much as his passing.
The Turk completed more tackles than any other Inter player on then pitch.
