Wingback Denzel Dumfries has won praise for his match-winning impact off the bench for Inter Milan against Torino yesterday.
As L’Interista highlight, the player ratings for the match across Italian media mark the Dutchman out as one of the Nerazzurri’s outstanding players after he came on as a substitute and assisted Marcus Thuram for Inter’s opening goal.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi preferred Matteo Darmian on the right flank in yesterday evening’s match away in Turin.
The 33-year-old former Manchester United veteran provided a reliable defensive presence. And he was a more conservative option in buildup.
However, one thing that the Nerazzurri seemed to lack with Darmian playing on the right flank was a real incisive threat in behind.
Moreover, the Italian international was not really attempting to take on Granata players one-on-one.
And Dumfries’s introduction in the second half certainly signalled a shift in approach down the right.
The 27-year-old replace Benjamin Pavard. Darmian moved back into the defensive line to take the place of the former Bayern Munich man.
Denzel Dumfries Praised For High-Impact Sub Appearance For Inter Vs Torino
Whereas Darmian had been a fairly conservative option, Dumfries instantly looked to run at Torino wingback Valentino Lazaro.
And it didn’t take long at all for the 27-year-old to get the reward for his efforts.
Dumfries pushed Lazaro back into the Granata penalty area. He made space for himself to consider his options, and then cut the ball back to teammate Marcus Thuram.
It was more than just a hopeful cross – the Dutchman put just the right pass to give Thuram a shooting chance.
And the Frenchman made no mistake, slotting the ball past Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
But in truth, there was far more the Dumfries’s performance than just his assist for Thuram.
The former PSV wingback came on at just the right time to force the Granata back down his flank.
