Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella and defender Alessandro Bastoni have been lavished with praise for their decisive roles in the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 Champions League win over Benfica yesterday evening.
The Italian international duo both received 8/10 scores for their starring performances in the quarterfinal first leg win published in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, the highest of any Nerazzurri players.
Inter were always going to need at least some of their biggest names to stand up and be counted if they were to get a result against high-flying Benfica at the cauldron that is the Estadio da Luz.
In the end, it was Barella and Bastoni who really proved why they are so highly-regarded, in the view of the Gazzetta.
It was the Azzurri pair who linked up for the first goal of the match, as a perfectly-flighted cross from the 23-year-old defender met the head of the 26-year-old midfielder who had timed his run to get free a few yards out from the Benfica goal.
However, the goal only scratches the surface of what the duo brought to Inter throughout yesterday evening’s match.
In the case of Bastoni, the 23-year-old put in a defensively assured performance, and perhaps even more importantly, was never afraid to step out of the defense or make ambitious passes.
In this sense, the defender was vital to the Nerazzurri having as much of a grip on the match as they did against an aggressive opponent in a tough away stadium.
Meanwhile, Barella was also praised for his constant running and energy, never losing the frantic pace of the match.
Defender Francesco Acerbi and goalkeeper Andre Onana also receive scores of 7.5/10 from the Gazzetta for their role in preserving yet another Champions League clean sheet for the Nerazzurri.
On the other hand, both starting strikers came in for criticism, with the Gazzetta feeling that a mediocre 5.5/10 grade is a fair reflection of both Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko’s rather turgid efforts.