We’re back with the last word on the weekend’s action in Italy’s top flight, where Inter failed to impress, Juve continue to confuse, and Milan’s big signing got his first start.
By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert
Inter’s troubling game vs. Lazio
Inter’s 3-1 loss away to Lazio opened up plenty of criticism for a few figures in the nerazzurri dressing room. The team were outplayed and out-managed, with Romelu Lukaku and Simone Inzaghi receiving the lowest scores from the Italian media. Let’s start with Lukaku, who looked like a shadow of the player that terrorised Serie A two seasons ago. He seemed to be lacking in sharpness and fitness in this game and never really troubled Lazio the way you thought he might against a Maurizio Sarri style of play that takes a lot of chances.
Then there’s the manager, Simone Inzaghi, who was criticised for starting Roberto Gagliardini from the first minute instead of the more attack-minded Hakan Çalhanoglu. Inter’s midfield was never able to take control of the game or neutralise the threat of Lazio’s very talented midfield unit. Inzaghi’s substitutions also didn’t help, especially when Denzel Dumfries (who was one of the best players on the field) was taken off in the 69th minute.
Inter have also had a hard time getting the same quality out of their left wingback position since Ivan Perišić was sold in the summer to Tottenham. While Robin Gosens seems a more than capable replacement on paper, Perišić’s impact last season cannot be overstated, especially in the attacking half.
Inzaghi only has a few days to get things sorted before his midweek match against newly promoted Cremonese, followed by the Derby Della Madonnina this weekend against city rivals, Milan.
Juventus playing Jekyll and Hyde
Can the real Juventus please stand up? The opening three matches of the season have given us more questions than answers regarding the Turin based giants, especially with how wildly different their home form has been to what we saw last week away to Sampdoria. That game was one of the Bianconeri’s most dull and lifeless in recent memory, so there was considerable worry for their upcoming match against José Mourinho’s Roma.
However, we got to see the attack-minded Juve that coach Max Allegri had promised over the summer. In the first half, Juventus absolutely dominated Roma, both in quality and intensity. Roma lost nearly every 50/50, and were lucky to only be a goal down. Mourinho revealed after the match that he told his team he was ashamed of them after the awful performance from the first half.
Even though Roma got a goal back after a sensational Paulo Dybala volley led to Tammy Abraham’s headed goal, it was a result that didn’t capture the level of control that Juventus showed. Allegri should be thrilled about a few individual performances in particular. Dušan Vlahović scored a world class free kick in the second minute, just a week on from the Sampdoria game where he recorded only three total touches in the first half and was visibly frustrated. The teenager, Fabio Miretti also proved that he belong on the highest stage after being handed his first start of the season in midfield. Miretti looked composed and confident on the ball, often driving forward with purpose and picking out the right pass. The stats showed it too; he had more passes into the final third than any other player in the first half, which gave the much maligned Juventus midfield a spark they desperately needed.
Charles De Ketelaere is ready for his big moment
Milan’s win at San Siro against Bologna also saw the first Serie A start for their big summer signing Charles De Ketelaere. The Belgian was lined up in the “trequartista” position (no.10 role) just behind Olivier Giroud. He was influential straight away, often times receiving the ball near the halfway line and being able to evade his marker using his strength and deceptive pace. What’s remarkable about De Ketelaere is how much balance he has for a player that tall (192cm or 6’4), and how elegant the long strider looks when he takes off. On a few occasions he was knocked around but stayed on his feet using his acceleration to drive down the middle of the field. Thankfully, it wasn’t just his physical attributes that made him standout, as his biggest contribution was through his passing and vision. De Ketelaere had an assist for Rafael Leão’s goal and should’ve gotten a second through a beautifully lobbed ball to find centre-back Pierre Kalulu, who botched his one on one effort.
Milan fans noticed the Belgian’s talent straight away, with audible emotion any time he was in possession. It’s hard not to get carried away at this point, as it’s been quite some time since a Milan signing generated this sort of excitement. De Ketelaere is now days away from his first Milan derby against Inter, which would be the perfect time for the youngster to set the foundations for a legendary reputation with his new club.
(Images from IMAGO)
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