Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella has received rather mixed reviews for his performance in yesterday’s Serie A win over Frosinone.
As L’Interista highlight, the 26-year-old drew praise for his energy, but also some criticism for a bit of sloppiness.
Former Cagliari midfielder Barella was back in Inter’s starting eleven yesterday evening.
The Italian international had not started against Red Bull Salzburg during the week. Rather, he came on as a second half substitute to help Inter win the Champions League group stage clash.
But with a rest during the week, it was always likely that Barella would play from the start against Frosinone.
And there were certainly aspects of Barella’s performance that showed why he is such a key man for Inter.
The 26-year-old held onto possession fairly well.
And few would deny that Barella’s tireless running is an asset for Inter in the midfield battle. The Italy midfielder worked his socks off to prevent the high-tempo Giallazzurri midfield from overrunning Inter.
High Energy But Not Always High Quality From Nicolo Barella Vs Frosinone
All of the player ratings for yesterday’s match commended Barella’s energy and physicality.
But where things become a bit divisive is in the judgment of what the 26-year-old provided in the final third.
For the Gazzetta dello Sport, the fact that Barella was able to work himself into the positions that he did was impressive enough on its own.
The midfielder nearly set up Lautaro Martinez for a first half goal from the edge of the penalty area, but for a smart save by Frosinone keeper Stefano Turati.
The Gazzetta, this makes Barella’s performance worthy of a 7/10 score.
But the Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport give Barella just a 6/10 grade.
The Inter midfielder huffed and puffed, but there was no final ball to make it all worthwhile.
Rather, it was Federico Dimarco and Marcus Thuram who proved to be the difference-makers for Inter on the night.
