Inter rack up their 6th consecutive win in the Serie A after the Nerazzurri number 6, Joao Mario, scored the only goal of the game in the 65th minute away against Palermo recording Inter’s first victory at the Stadio Renzo Barbera in 6 years, pushing Milan down to 6th place in the standings.
Everything in that opening sentence is true and no the author of this piece is not religious and thus doesn’t subscribe to the idea of a hell where a dark Lord presides over eternally cursed souls. Therefore, the very idea of Satan incarnated with the number 666 branded on the side of his head, is a ludicrous idea. However, I do believe that 6 is the number of the beast, the beast who roams Inter’s midfield, Joao Mario.
A few weeks back, we calculated the highest average rating of each Inter player precisely after half the season had been played and much to our and your surprise, Joao Mario was the highest rated player. Not because we consider him to be a poor player, far from it. It’s just that rarely has he been the best player on the pitch but he has also seldom if ever been Inter’s worst performer. He always does a decent job, even when at his lowest form but recently he’s raised his level as a whole and is performing consistently at a very high level. When he’s not on the pitch, his presence is sorely missed on Inter’s midfield and what better grade than that can a footballer receive?
Today, Inter looked sluggish, tired and slow until Joao Mario came on at which point Inter started dominating the proceedings. The same thing can be argued was the case away against Udinese, when he turned provider for Perisic’s winner via a delightful cross. Then, just like today, Inter suffered and didn’t play well and then, just like today, Inter won thanks to a decisive moment of sheer quality by Joao Mario. The moment when you start winning matches despite not playing well, is when you know you have a team of players of the highest pedigree. At Inter, that is currently embodied to the letter by the player wearing jersey number 6, the number of Inter’s beast in midfield, a European Champion from Portugal named Joao Mario.