Romelu Lukaku wasted several chances as Inter fell 0-1 to Fiorentina on Saturday. Due to injuries and an upcoming Coppa Italia match, the hosts fielded a weakened starting 11, which struggled significantly as Simone Inzaghi’s side lost its third straight domestic match.
Andre Onana – 7
Once again, Inter’s defense was less than impressive early in the match, and only Onana’s goalkeeping kept La Viola off the scoresheet. In the 14th minute, the Cameroonian made a critical double save as Fiorentina’s offense relentlessly pressed the hosts’ backline.
Matteo Darmian – 5
Continuing to take Milan Skriniar’s position, Darmian did not have the best day. Often, the defender was out of position, and there were also frequent spacing issues on the backline.
Francesco Acerbi – 7
With Cristiano Biraghi and Riccardo Saponara swinging in a barrage of crosses from the left wing, Acerbi’s height and aerial presence proved crucial to cutting out chances in the air.
Alessandro Bastoni – 6
One of a few players returning from injury spells, Bastoni was not particularly impressive defensively, but he did create a few decent attacking chances for his side.
Denzel Dumfries – 5
After a solid first half, Dumfries disappeared during the second 45 minutes. Just when it seemed the wing-back was returning to his form of old, he reverted to uninspiring figure he has cut for most of 2023.
Robin Gosens – 6.5
In his return from a leg injury, Gosens ran the left channel and connected well with Lukaku. After a string of impressive performances, he should continue to challenge Federico Dimarco for the starting position.
Marcelo Brozovic – 5
While replacing the injured Hakan Calhanoglu, the captain did not provide the defensive presence his side needed. Fiorentina managed a flurry of chances in the first half, and the space between the lines seemed especially vulnerable for the Nerazzurri. While the Croatian passed the ball well, his activity off of it was disappointing.
Nicolo Barella – 5.5
After failing to receive a call-up to the national team, Barella was unusually quiet in the midfield. His distribution was not at its best, and his dynamic playmaking skills were nowhere to be found.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 7
From the central midfield, Mkhitaryan was by far Inter’s most creative player. At one point, he made a brilliant run through the midfield, beating three Viola players on the dribble and nearly scoring a bicycle kick.
Romelu Lukaku – 4
The big striker made quality runs and created several chances, but his finishing was horrid. In the 49th minute, Bastoni fired a pass across the face of the goal, and Lukaku whiffed on the point-blank tap-in, baffling supporters and commentators alike.
Joaquin Correa – 5
Rather than leading the line, Correa operated more as a creative second striker. In just his second league start, the Argentine had a few moments of quality, but he was was not particularly influential on the whole.
This is truly embarrassing. A professional footballer doesn’t miss this.
Romelu Lukaku is finished as a top striker no matter how many goals he scored vs teams like Sweden.
Shocking.pic.twitter.com/Y4CGwdOWGo— Nima Tavallaey Roodsari (@NimaTavRood) April 1, 2023
Substitutes
Lautaro Martinez – 5
During his brief time on the pitch, Lautaro failed to provide much of an improvement over Correa.
Stefan de Vrij – 6.5
The centre-back replaced Bastoni and helped solidify Inter’s erratic backline.
Raoul Bellanova – 7
The wing-back took off Gosens and immediately provided an attacking spark. He created multiple chances with his speed and nearly scored a volley from a corner.