Inter Milan talisman Hakan Calhanoglu almost single-handedly eliminated Como from the Coppa Italia semi-finals last night.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport via FCInterNews, the Turkish midfielder emerged as the Nerazzurri savior in a crunch second-leg clash at San Siro.
Como seemed to be on the verge of reaching their first Coppa Italia since the mid 1980s when Lucas Da Cunha fired them 2-0 up at the start of the second half.
However, like two weeks ago at the Sinigaglia Stadium, Inter fought back from a 2-0 deficit to break Cesc Fabregas’ heart.
Despite the absence of star striker Lautaro Martinez, Cristian Chivu found a new hero.
Hakan Calhanoglu Emerges as Inter Milan Hero vs Como
When it looked like the game was a lost cause, Hakan Calhanoglu rifled home a mid-range shot to spark the comeback.
Furthermore, he scored his first header in Italian football to draw Inter level in the 86th minute.
Then, he set up Petar Sucic for a last-gasp winner, rounding off another outstanding performance.
Meanwhile, Andy Diouf brought energy and flair off the bench, injecting pace and determination on the right flank.
However, veteran center-back Francesco Acerbi failed to meet expectations, as his errors nearly cost the Nerazzurri dearly.
In my opinion, i still don’t understand why Acerbi is still on the field. I appreciate everything he has done for the club but these days he is a HUGE liability for the club. he is way to slow on the back line. He is constantly getting beat by anyone that has any pace. I would rather have Bisseck or DeVrj on the line with Akanji and Bastoni or Agusto. Once Inter lockup the Scudetto and Copa Italia then Acerbi can do his farewell tour. Thats my humble opinion.
Agree, especially deVrij has been underused. Last season Acerbi was top-notch, this season age caught him. Bisseck is the future if we keep him.
Simple, De Vrij was not even on the bench, Bastoni is injured, and Bisseck just came back from injury, so he’s not 100% fit. I agree that De Vrij should’ve played most of the games that Acerbi started, but for the Coppa Italia semifinal against Como, Acerbi was the only player available that was fully fit.