Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco has been named as the outstanding performer for Italy in a 0-0 friendly draw against Turkey.
Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, give the 26-year-old a grade of 6/10 in the player ratings for the match. They laud him for trying to make something happen.
Dimarco was in the Italy starting eleven for yesterday evening’s EURO 2024 warmup match against Turkey.
It is little surprise to see the Inter wingback in the team.
Dimarco is very likely to be the first-choice starter for Italy at the Euros this summer.
The 26-year-old has established himself in the Azzurri setup for a couple years now. First under Roberto Mancini, and then continuing under Luciano Spalletti.
Yesterday, Spalletti set the Italy starting eleven up in a back-four formation.
This meant that, at least nominally, Dimarco played on the left of a back four.
But Spalletti also tested out some other ideas for the Inter wingback.
Federico Dimarco The Most Positive Player For Italy Vs Turkey
Over the last couple of seasons, Dimarco’s role at Inter has evolved.
The 26-year-old has had more and more freedom on the pitch.
This means that, far from sticking to wide areas on the left wing, Dimarco has been able drift around. He has picked up both wide and central areas, from the buildup phase to the opposition penalty area.
And yesterday evening against Turkey, Spalletti used Dimarco in something of an inverted role.
The Inter player often drifted infield to support the midfield.
Particular Arsenal midfielder Jorginho got support from Dimarco.
The 26-year-old’s technical ability and passing range made his quite adept at contributing in these areas of the pitch.
However, there was still a spark of creativity from Dimarco.
It may have been a dreary 0-0 draw in the end. But if anyone was trying to make things happen with some creative passes and an attempt at goal, it was the Inter wingback.
