Mauro Icardi bagged a hat-trick in the Derby della Madonnina, but how did his Inter teammates fare in the 9sport ratings?
Samir Handanovic – 6
The Slovenian ‘keeper bounced back from his country’s failure to qualify for the World Cup by making a few early saves, including an excellent stop from a Fabio Borini effort. Although Handanovic had no chance with Milan’s first goal, he will perhaps be annoyed at himself for fumbling the second across the line.
Danilo D’Ambrosio – 6
The right-back did well to keep both Ricardo Rodriguez and Giacomo Bonaventura quiet, especially in the first half, and justified his continued selection over Joao Cancelo.
Milan Skriniar – 7
Skriniar once again showed himself to be one of the singings of the season, with yet another assured display at centre-back. The young defender bullied Milan’s forwards in the first half, and coped relatively well with the physicality of Patrick Cutrone after his introduction.
Joao Miranda – 6
The veteran centre-back made sure that Andre Silva knew who was the boss early on, with a couple of hard challenges, a couple of which may have been slightly overzealous. Although he defended resolutely, the Brazilian looked uncomfortable on the ball, and could have cost his team a goal when he lost possession to Silva in the first half.
Yuto Nagatomo – 5
Nagatomo will have been delighted after the first 45 minutes, having coped admirably on Inter’s left flank against both Franck Kessie and Borini. The second half was a very different story, as Nagatomo struggled with Borini’s increased attacking role, and should have done better to prevent the cross that lead to Milan’s second goal.
Matias Vecino – 6
In the absence of Joao Mario and Marcelo Brozovic, the attacking responsibility was shared across Inter’s midfield. Vecino certainly got forward more, although his final product was underwhelming. One particularly fine run in the final five minutes saw Vecino pass three players, before, mistakenly, deciding to set up Icardi rather than taking the shot himself.
Roberto Gagliardini – 6
So often a star for both Atalanta and Inter last season, Gagliardini has struggled to get into Luciano Spalletti’s starting XI. Handed an opportunity again Milan, the midfielder struggled creatively, often opting for back or horizontal passes rather than looking forward.
Antonio Candreva – 8
Having received criticism in the week for inaccurate crossing, the winger had a point to prove, and his pin-point cross for Icardi’s first goal did exactly that. Candreva made the right flank his own, curling a shot against the crossbar early on, and nullifying the attacking threat from Milan’s wing-back, Rodriguez. Until he was taken off in the 72nd minute, the Italian international looked as close to his Lazio self as his has done wearing black and blue.
Borja Valero – 6
The former Fiorentina midfielder was tasked with filling the Number 10 position, with its usual occupants out injured. Valero did his best in the role, however, it was evident that he is more effective in deeper setting. Whilst he kept the team ticking over, he was relatively anonymous in the final third, and was well marshalled by Biglia.
Ivan Perisic – 7
It was comparatively quiet night from the Croatian winger, who many predicted would have relished playing against Borini at right-back. Regardless, Perisic looked a threat whenever he got on the ball, and provided the cross for Icardi’s second goal.
Mauro Icardi – 10
Inter’s captain rose to the occasion yet again with a clinical hat-trick. Although his first strike showed the predatory instincts Icardi is rapidly becoming known for, it was the second goal that stood out: the Argentinian won possession in his own half before bursting forward, feeding the ball out wide for Perisic, whose cross Icardi volleyed into the bottom corner. The forward completed his treble by calmly converting a penalty, unperturbed by the fact that it was taken in the 90th minute with scores tied.
Subs
Joao Cancelo – 5
Cancelo came on to stymie Milan’s attack in the 72nd minute, replacing Candreva. The Portuguese right-back did a solid job, helping to win the corner from which Inter got their penalty.
Milan fell to a third consecutive defeat, but who emerged from the Derby della Madonnina with positive 9sport ratings?
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 5
The young goalkeeper can’t be faulted for any one of the three goals, and was let down by his defence. His distribution on the other hand was very poor, and is something that Donnarumma will have to work on if he is to be considered amongst the elite.
Mateo Musacchio – 5
The summer singing from Villarreal was once again very inconsistent. As well as Mauro Icardi played, Musacchio should have been tracking him for the first goal, as the Inter man was the only target in the box from the cross. Other than that error, the centre-back had a decent game, and even had a goal correctly disallowed for offside.
Leonardo Bonucci – 4
Yet another poor game by the former Juventus man. Despite Montella allegedly transitioning to a back three just to accommodate him, the defender is yet to find the form he enjoyed in Turin. Whereas Bonucci has been praised for his playmaking ability, he resorted to long, hopeful punts forward against Inter. Furthermore, the Italian was guilty of ball-watching for Icardi’s second goal, standing near the front post rather than marking the man.
Alessio Romagnoli – 5
The young Italian centre-back was the most reliable of Montella’s back three, his only transgression being a yellow card for professional foul in order to stop an Inter counter-attack. He was removed with 13 minutes remaining in order to change to a back four.
Fabio Borini – 7
The term ‘a game of two halves’ could have been coined to describe Borini’s performance against Inter. Through the first 45 minutes, the Sunderland-owned player struggled to make an impact from right-wing-back, and misplaced a number of crosses from good positions. However, after the break, he was instructed to push further forward was able to play in his natural position. It didn’t take long for him to realise that he had the beating of Yuto Nagatomo, and it was Borini’s dangerous cross into the box that set up Milan’s second goal.
Franck Kessie – 5
Often one of the Rossoneri’s top performers this season, Kessie lasted just 45 minutes against Inter before he was sacrificed for a system change.
Lucas Biglia – 6
Biglia was, by a distance, Milan’s best player in a poor first half. The summer arrival from Lazio went about his job quietly but efficiently, and marked Borja Valero out of the game. Unfortunately for the Argentinian, a lapse in concentration saw his pocket picked by his compatriot, Icardi, in the build-up for Inter’s second goal. As strong as his first half was, losing possession in a dangerous position is inexcusable for a defensive midfielder of his experience.
Giacomo Bonaventura – 7
A typically industrious performance from Jack, who was rewarded for his hard work with the ball landing at his feet for Milan’s second equaliser of the evening. Whether or not it is counted as an own goal for Samir Handanovic, it was Bonaventura’s work rate that made the goal.
Ricardo Rodriguez – 5
The Swiss defender was forced into playing a defensive role for much of the match, due to the threat of Antonio Candreva on Inter’s right wing. Even when he did manage to get forward, Rodriguez’s crosses were uncharacteristically ineffective.
Andre Silva – 5
A disappointing game for the striker, who struggled physically against two strong centre-backs. Silva persevered throughout the match, hassling his opposition and putting himself about. However, he was let down by his touch and easily bundled off the ball.
Suso – 7
Much like Borini, Suso suffered from playing out of his natural position in the first half. Although Montella will have been disappointed not to have Nikola Kalinic available, playing a winger in his stead was unequivocally a mistake. Suso struggled to get a touch of the ball in the first 45 minutes, and was outmuscled on the rare occasions he did. In the second period, however, the Spaniard excelled, and was Milan’s main creative force, playing from a deeper midfield position. His curling shot from distance to draw his side level was a prime example of how the player should be utilised, cutting in off the right flank.
Subs
Patrick Cutrone – 6
Cutrone replaced Kessie at half time, and undoubtedly added a new dimension to Milan’s game. Although he saw little of the ball, introducing a strong forward who was willing to run behind the defence was a masterstroke from Montella. With the Italian occupying Milan Skriniar and Joao Miranda, the likes of Suso and Silva were given far more time on the ball, and the whole Inter side was forced to drop back to help defend.