The first final four of the Italian Super Cup ends with Inter’s victory thanks to the captain’s injury-time goal Lautaro Martinez. In Riyadh, however, we saw much more: let’s see how the protagonists fared in this final which will not fail to cause several controversies.
NAPOLI (3-4-2-1)
Pierluigi GOLLINI 7 – He comes onto the pitch as a surprise due to Meret’s injury, good performance on the counterattack, precise on set pieces. Even when they try to hit him from distance, he’s always there. In the frantic final he works miracles before having to raise the white flag on Lautaro’s tap-in.
Giovanni DI LORENZO 6,5 – The captain is not experiencing a moment of grace but he is returning to what he once was, almost always relentless in his coverage.
Amir RRAMANI 7 – Despite having to deal with nasty beasts, the Kosovar saves Gollini’s goal several times. The first yellow was avoidable but it is not a blue pencil error. Perfect in breaking Inter’s offensive plots.
Juan Jwould be 6 – He makes little mistakes, as usual; every now and then a player is lost but he always makes a difference. In the end he risks several times but holds up.
Pasquale MDUDE 6,5 – Precise in coverage, attentive, good attitude but errors in setup could cost dearly. It’s a shame that injury took him out at the end.
From the 73rd minute Mario RUI 6 – Precise, punctual, never in a hurry: when things need to be done you can always rely on him.
Jens-Lys CADJUSTMENT 5,5 – A few too many rough entries but he has the good pace to cover the Nerazzurri’s incursions. He can still grow, which is good news for the people of Napoli.
From the 73rd minute Giacomo DISSOLVE 6 – On his wing he would like to make holes but with his team in the trenches he is forced to waste time to let the defense catch their breath.
Stanislav LOBOTKA 6,5 – Very good in the closing phase, a little less when it comes to restarting but he can’t do everything on his own. Better in the second half, when he is the one making the charge. From the expulsion onwards he takes his place on the barricades with the rest of Napoli.
Alessio ZHEIRESS 6 – He has good ideas, like when he tries to fuel Politano’s speed on the counterattack. It’s a shame that precision, however, is lacking. He runs a lot, finishes well: in the second half, when he could grow like the rest of Napoli, he is recalled to the bench.
From 57′ Leo OSTIGARD 6 – Mazzarri had thrown him onto the pitch to contribute up front but after the expulsion he went down into the trenches with the rest of the defence. He does his duty, even if he is a little rough every now and then.
Matteo POLITANO 5,5 – He tries to disengage but shaking off Acerbi is no mean feat. When he has decent balls, he tries to do the same but it’s not very effective. In the second half he lost a lot of brilliance after the injury.
Dal 69’ Jesper LINDSTROM 6 – The Swede has played little or nothing so far but entering just when Napoli parks the bus in front of the goal is not the best. He tries to show what he is capable of with a shot from halfway that almost mocks Sommer.
Kvicha KVARATSKHELIA 7 – He starts off very energetic, you can see that he wants to make up for it. The growth in personality and confidence compared to the bundle of nerves seen in recent days is evident. It’s a shame he had to leave the pitch when Napoli went into the trenches at the end.
From the 69th minute Gianluca GAETANO 6 – He would like to get noticed and would even do well in midfield. It’s a shame that he is forced to be a laborer in defense like the rest of Napoli.
Diego SIT’S SEEN 5,5 – Work more for the team; good, since he has very few good balls. The winger’s assist for Kvara was nice and the fact that he often lends a hand in closing. He ruins everything with something stupid in front of the fourth official. That pest costs Napoli dearly.
Walter MAZZARRI 6,5 – Well in the covering phase but his Napoli moves back too much, as if they were a little scared. At the end of the first half he seems to gain confidence, even without finding any real solutions going forward. When Napoli seemed ready to play, he lost his temper after Simeone’s expulsion. Extremely bitter ending, despite the fact that the rear guard held up almost perfectly.
INTER (3-5-2)
Yann SOMMER 6,5 – Non-paying spectator, but given the consistency of Inter’s defense it is almost becoming a habit. In the second half he responds to Kvara’s curling shot.
Benjamin PAwards 6,5 – More proactive than usual, he pushes well in attack and creates a lot of problems. Providential on Kvaratskhelia, more and more convincing, clearly growing.
Stefan DE FREE 6 – He is not often called into action but is always present. He doesn’t push much but does his duty in defense without any mistakes. The yellow cost him a replacement.
62′ Carlos AUGUSTO 6 – He would like to do well and lend a hand going forward but with limited space he certainly can’t shine.
Francesco ADEER 6,5 – Millimetric closures, he often wins the duel with Politano but it’s not like Napoli gives him much to do. Less effective forward but that’s not really his job.
Matteo DARMIAN 6 – Inzaghi asks him to also contribute up front but it is clear that it is not his job. He shows up often and willingly on the wing.
Nicholas BARELLA 5,5 – He often centralizes, exchanging positions with Darmian but everything only works in spurts. He suffers a bit against Lobotka and is not very precise in his shots. More and more nervous in the second half, definitely avoidable yellow.
From the 62nd minute Davide FRATTESI 6 – He enters at the most favorable moment for the Nerazzurri, with Napoli with 10 men. With Napoli closed he doesn’t have the opportunity to play in spaces and suffers a bit. He does the best thing with the veil for Lautaro who scores the winning goal.
That’s it CALHANOGLU 6 – It’s not that he makes serious mistakes but, given the stratospheric level of the last few games, a small step backwards. In the rustic duel with Kvaratskhelia he occasionally exceeds. A few too many mistakes in the end.
Henrikh MKHITARYAN 6,5 – Someone with his experience gets excited in the finals and is even more attentive than usual. Sensational advances, good assists but, perhaps, the brilliance of the best days is missing.
Federico DIMARCO 6 – He focuses more often than not, but was unlucky when a deflection denied him the goal in the 14th minute. Less devastating than usual and a little imprecise in his crosses, but this is partly thanks to the Neapolitan defense.
From the 80th minute Marko ARNAUTOVIC 6 – He doesn’t do who knows what but he manages to get the team on board and lend a hand in knocking down Napoli’s barricades.
Marcus THiram 6 – More and more man assists, delightful plays but in the crowded Napoli area it is difficult to find spaces for triangulations. As soon as he has a couple of metres, he finds an assist for Lautaro, even if he is offside. As soon as spaces open up, he flourishes again, also trying to find the goal. In the second half he missed a couple of monumental chances. The grade is the average between the two times.
Dall’80’ Alexis SANCHEZ 6 – Good impact on the match but when he is narrowly marked he certainly can’t work miracles.
Lautaro MARTINEZ 6,5 – Captain in name and in fact, you see him everywhere, even in defence. Since there isn’t much space in the area, he shows up in position, ready to strike as soon as spaces open up in front of Gollini. In the final he lands the strike that wins the Super Cup.
Dal 90+3’ Yann BISSECK sv
Simone INZAGHI 6 – Inter play by heart and this is certainly nothing new. His football is not brilliant but, given the caliber of his opponents, it is difficult to expect better. First half in control, suffering little or nothing then in the second half Simeone’s expulsion paves the way for Inter. Winning like this isn’t great but, ultimately, what matters is bringing home the trophy.
Antonio RAWESOME 5 – He manages a difficult match without waving too many cards: it was neither simple nor obvious. A little taxed on the first yellow for Rrahmani, the one on Calhanoglu’s bad move was less questionable. At the beginning of the second half he pulls the reins to prevent the situation from degenerating and exceeding. The one who pays the price is Simeone, whose expulsion is very doubtful.
2024-01-22 21:19:00
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