Inter have won comfortably 2-0 at home against Thiago Motta’s Spezia. The result means that Inter are only two points from 1st placed Napoli.
Let’s look further into some key points from the match itself.
Man of the Match –
This is very rare, but the Man of the Match has to go to our coach today. I thought that the selections were perfect, and we were able to give a few players some much needed rest.
As we’ve seen, Barella and Dzeko have been running on an empty tank since the last international break so this rest will get them ready for the upcoming fixture on the weekend.
Considering the likes of De Vrij, Ranocchia, Bastoni, Darmian and Kolarov were all unavailable due to injury and/or illness, it was a fantastic effort. For Inzaghi to position Skriniar in the center, and have Dimarco and D’Ambrosio on either side was a masterstroke.
It’s not very often I’m all compliments for Inzaghi, but today he definitely deserves the praise. I know people will say “it’s only Spezia”, but every win we get puts us closer to another title.
Also want to point out, this is the first time this season that Inzaghi has won three consecutive league games. As we know, Conte went on impressive runs of 8+ wins in a row so let’s hope Inzaghi can match the feat.
Special mentions –
There were a few players today who really tried their hearts out in that beautiful Inter shirt. It was proud to see the effort and commitment from these particular players.
The four are Lautaro, Dimarco, Hakan and Handanovic who I thought were the best on field today. In no particular order, let’s start with Lautaro.
Lautaro’s recent run of form has been patchy and inconsistent. It’s been hard to know which Lautaro would step on the field on match day. Today I saw a determined attitude from him and he was good enough to register an assist and goal next to his name.
The goal celebrations are now pointed at the Inter fans in the crowd, and it feels like he is wanting to repay all of us for sticking by him during the dark periods (even this early in the season).
Dimarco chased every ball today at full pace and I just really liked watching him in space. Many times he played the wrong pass, or overhit his cross but the effort was there. We know he’s not always going to get it right but he’s starting to develop into the player Inter need in the squad.
Onto Hakan – just wow! He’s starting to play back to back matches at a top level and shine in his position. Of course there were moments where he didn’t get it right, but minutes later he was making up for his mistake by winning the ball back etc.
There was one play where I was hoping he would get his goal. A classy one-two had him in on goal but unfortunately a soft finish wasn’t enough to get the ball into the back of the net. Good signs though.
Last but not least – Batmanovic. A world class save in that first half was phenomenal. Reaching down to his left parrying the ball away from danger. For the rest of the match, Handanovic was solid as bricks so zero complaints today. Just the performance he needed.
The hate needs to stop –
I’ll put my hand up as I’m one of the worst for it. We need to stop hating on Gagliardini as he’s doing exactly what Inzaghi asks of him. A great squad player, especially in these Serie A matches against the bottom teams.
As soon as I saw his name on the starting sheet, I knew a Gagliardini goal was coming up.
Did you know that Gagliardini has scored 8 of his 15 Serie A goals against Ligurian sides?
This includes 5 vs Genoa, 2 vs Sampdoria and now 1 vs Spezia. A handy player to have on those occasions, as the Ligurian sides are definitely fighters and they play until the final whistle.
In regards to his performances in other matches, we know he’s not a superstar and to be honest, he’s not trying to be. I’m sure that each match Gagliardini is going out onto the field trying to get the result for his team and Nerazzurri fans.
It’ll be a good day when he’s gone, but for now he’s doing his job well. So I’ll support him as long as he stays in an Inter shirt.
Where to next?
Jose, we meet again. Inter will face Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, which has never been an easy task for Inter. It will be the first time that Inter has ever faced a Serie A team coached by Mourinho.
I think with all the suspensions and injuries for Roma at the moment, we should be able to get all three points.
Prediction: Inter 1-0
As always, Forza Inter!
