Midfielder Nicolo Barella has been named as Inter Milan’s outstanding performer in their 1-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, give the Italian international a score of 7.5/10 in the player ratings for the match, the highest of any Nerazzurri player.
Barella may not have scored or assisted a goal yesterday.
But the 27-year-old did just about everything else.
It was always going to be a tough battle in midfield against Atletico.
And particularly in the first half, Inter’s central trio did not put in the sort of convincing performance that they usually do this season.
Veteran former Arsenal and Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was guilty of a few uncharacteristic errors.
And Hakan Calhanoglu gave the ball away on a few occasions, as the passing options didn’t quite appear the way they used to and the ambitious passes didn’t come off.
But one player who was always ready to give Inter a foothold in the match was Barella.
Nicolo Barella Named Inter MOTM Vs Atletico Madrid
One of Barella’s strongest attributes is his ability to hold onto the ball under pressure.
And that proved to be vital considering the dynamic of the first half against Atletico.
The Spanish side sere diligent and intense in trying to win the ball back and deny the Inter midfielders space.
But that wasn’t a problem for Barella. The former Cagliari midfielder used his exceptional ball control to hold off his opponents and turn to give himself space and options.
And Barella also got forward to decent effect.
The 27-year-old was part of several of Inter’s most dangerous combinations around the Atletico penalty area.
It was a standout performance from Inter’s star man in midfield. And it came on the biggest stage when his team really needed him.
