Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Hakan Calhanoglu struggled with the tempo of yesterday’s Serie A clash between Bologna and Inter Milan.

This is the view in Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb. They argue that the Nerazzurri lost the midfield battle as they fell to a 1-0 defeat.

Inter Milan once again started with their usual first-choice midfield trio against Bologna.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Hakan Calhanoglu lined up alongside Nicolo Barella in the centre of the pitch.

That same trio had also started against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek. And they had certainly impressed in that match.

But there were clear signs that this had taken its toll.

Mkhitaryan & Calhanoglu Not Up To The Pace Of Bologna Vs Inter Clash

Hakan Calhanoglu Inter Milan
CAGLIARI, ITALY – DECEMBER 28: Hakan Calhanoglu of Inter in action during the Serie A match between Cagliari and FC Internazionale at Sardegna Arena on December 28, 2024 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

Inter faced a hard-running midfield trio of Remo Freuler, Michel Aebischer, and Jens Odgaard.

And Henrikh Mkhitaryan in particular suffered from the energy with which the Bologna midfielders played.

The former Arsenal and Roma midfielder found himself struggling to keep up. He lost runs in midfield, and could not make space for himself.

Meanwhile, Hakan Calhanoglu lacked his usual clarity.

The Rossoblu midfield covered the spaces well, giving the Turk few options.

And as a result, Calhanoglu was not really able to dictate Inter’s possession game or control the tempo.