Defender Benjamin Pavard has won praise for his defensive heroics in Inter Milan’s Serie A win over Fiorentina yesterday evening.
Today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, identify the Frenchman’s performance as a key reason for the Nerazzurri’s clean sheet.
Inter were under intense pressure from just about the first minute of yesterday’s match.
Fiorentina pressed high up the pitch and tried to force the ball in and around the Nerazzurri penalty area.
This meant that Inter’s defenders had no shortage of work to do.
And the physicality of the Fiorentina attack caused the Nerazzurri backline some problems.
Striker M’Bala Nzola in particular was able to hold the ball up well when aerial balls came in. Stefan de Vrij struggled with the former Spezia man at times.
Therefore, some last-ditch defending was needed to get the team out of trouble.
And Pavard showed his keen defensive instincts as well as timing and willingness to put his body on the line.
Benjamin Pavard Praised For Last-Ditch Defending In Inter Serie A Win Vs Fiorentina
Pavard made two blocks which could well have prevented goals.
The 27-year-old did very well to get in the way of shots from both Nzola and from Lucas Martinez Quarta that had looked to be on target.
Particularly the headed clearance that Pavard made right before Inter conceded a penalty ended up being crucial.
Inter keeper Yann Sommer had cleared the ball, but clattered Nzola in the process.
The danger was not over however, and a last-ditch clearance from Pavard was needed to prevent a Quarta effort going in.
After consulting with the VAR, referee Gianluca Aureliano adjudged that Sommer’s contact with Nzola was a foul and a penalty.
Therefore, Pavard’s heroic clearance could have been all for nothing if Fiorentina had scored.
But Sommer saved Nico Gonzalez’s effort.
So Inter’s clean sheet was safe.
