Inter have bounced back in style to beat rivals Juventus 2-0 in the Derby d’Italia. A couple of goals, a clean sheet and 3 very important points in the campaign.
This is the first time since September 2016 in which Inter has beaten Juventus in Serie A. A long run of dominance finally coming to an end, as Inter were far too good at the San Siro.
Let’s look into some of the real positives from the match.
The complete package –
Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.
A magical 10 out of 10 performance from Nicolo Barella in one of the biggest matches of his career so far. An assist, a splendid goal and just all out running for 90′ odd minutes was phenomenal to watch.
The Adam Sandler movie “Uncut Gems” should’ve been based on the initial transfer from Cagliari to Inter. Barella is some of the best transfer business Inter has made in the past few years.
In years to come, Barella will be the best midfielder in Italy, and it’s hard to argue with that statement. The work ethic, attitude and skill level is exceptional and there is a lot of excitement about Barella’s future in both an Inter and Italian jersey.
Old boy breaks Juve hearts –
Finally, the player who Conte signed back in the summer has turned up in an Inter shirt. By far, this was Vidal’s most impressive performance since joining the club and what a way to open your scoring in the league.
King Arturo has returned to his seat at the table, and the man we saw today is the player all Inter supporters want to see for the rest of the season.
Controlled, smart and consistent are all ways to describe Vidal’s match today, so fingers crossed this Vidal sticks around for a while.
Defensively strong –
In some matches, everything just clicks and today this was one of those occasions.
The Inter defence did not crack, and this was one of the most pleasing things for Inter fans. In previous games, Inter has looked shaky and many chances would fall to oppositions.
For once, Inter looked like the best defence in Italy and Handanovic looked like the same player from years before. There were a couple of crucial moments in the game and Handanovic was up to the challenge saving anything shot his way.
Bastoni was another standout today both offensively and defensively. The assist to put Barella one on one for his goal was one of the best passes from trouble you’ll see. Another young star Inter has on their roster, so the future is looking good.
Where to next?
Inter will now travel to the Stadio Friuli to face a struggling Udinese. Finally, Inter will get a week of rest, as there are no midweek games for the first time in a while.
All of the Inter fan base will be hoping for a slip up from Milan which could potentially have Inter sitting in equal first.
Written by Matthew Pickham
