The Allianz Stadium hosted the most anticipated clash of round 31, as Juventus and Inter went head-to-head in a fiery Derby d’Italia. The hosts dominated the action from start to finish but Dusan Vlahovic and company failed to capitalize on their flurry of chances. At the end of the first half, the referee awarded the Nerazzurri a controversial spot kick. Wojciech Szczesny initially denied Hakan Calhanoglu, but the Turk scored on the replay. In the second period, Simone Inzaghi’s men managed to survive to Bianconeri’s onslaught to reignite their Scudetto hopes with a vital win. So here are our player ratings for the major showdown between Juventus and Inter.
Juventus (4-2-3-1)
Wojciech Szczesny – 6.5
Besides the two spot kicks, the Pole was left with next to nothing to do throughout the match. Once again proved to be brilliant at saving spot kicks, but Calhanoglu eventually beat him on the replay.
Danilo – 6
The Brazilian was solid as usual at the back, but provided little help on the offensive phase at a time when his teammates were seeking assistance. Tried to unleash Vlahovic with long balls, but it rarely worked out.
Matthijs de Ligt – 7
A wonderful outing for the Dutchman who had the better of Lautaro and Dzeko throughout the night. Made a stunning sliding tackle to block Hakan’s close-range shot.
Giorgio Chiellini – 6
The veteran did well in what might be his last hurrah in the Derby d’Italia. However, he had a couple of shaky moments, like losing Skriniar on an early corner kick. But was generally solid.
Alex Sandro – 5.5
Although it was a dubious call, the former Porto man was the one who gave away the penalty kick for a challenge on Dumfries. Burst forward at times, but failed to cause danger for the Inter defenses.
Manuel Locatelli – 6
A cursed evening for the Euro 2020 winner. Lautaro gave him a head injury from the get-go. He then tried to resist the pain and go on with the match but his night ended with an injury that saw him leaving the pitch in tears.
Adrien Rabiot – 7
A vastly improved outing from the Frenchman who looked much more at ease while playing in his natural central role. Won back the ball for Juventus on countless occasions and made some threatening runs forward.
Juan Cuadrado – 6.5
The former Fiorentina man had the better of Perisic for the majority of the match, and brilliantly slipped past Bastoni on a couple of occasions. But his final touch let him down at some crucial moments.
Paulo Dybala – 6
The Argentine made some smart plays with his teammates and tried to test Handanovic on a couple of occasions, but his shooting lacked sharpness. Wasted a promising freekick late in the match.
Alvaro Morata – 5.5
The Spaniard started on the right foot and unleashed Vlahovic with a fabulous through ball, but completely faded after break before leaving his spot for Kean.
Dusan Vlahovic – 6
The Serbian bomber found an unyielding Skriniar in front of him from start to finish. He managed to escape his marker on one occasion in the first half, but his clinical touch deserted him. Spent the final minutes fruitlessly looking for a penalty.
Juventus Substitutes
Denis Zakaria – 7
The Swiss was surprisingly the author of the Bianconeri’s most dangerous chance, as he took on four Inter players before unleashing a thunderous that crashed against the post. A dominant force in the middle of the park.
Moise Kean – 5
The Italian replaced Morata in the second half but did little to help Juventus at a time when they were desperate for a goal. His first touch was always too heavy.
Mattia De Sciglio – 5.5
The fullback offered little after replacing the tired Sandro.
Arthur Melo – N/A
Federico Bernardeschi – N/A
2008/09 – Inter have remained unbeaten in both the seasonal Serie A meetings against Juventus for the first time since the 2008/09 campaign, winning their first away top-flight match against the Bianconeri since November 2012. Resistance.#SerieA #JuveInter pic.twitter.com/s63gqGkmth
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) April 3, 2022
Inter (3-5-2)
Samir Handanovic – 6
The Slovenian skipper left the field with a clean sheet to his name, but he looked shaky and undecisive on a couple of occasions that could have cost Inter dearly. Pulled off some routine saves and was bailed by the post on Zakaria’s shot.
Danilo D’Ambrosio – 6.5
The versatile defender had the better of Morata and his substitute Kean, while also helping Skriniar in dealing with Vlahovic.
Milan Skriniar – 7.5
A splendid defensive display from the former Sampdoria man who marshalled the backline in the absence of Stefan de Vrij. Succeeded in limiting Vlahovic’s danger, as he won the vast majority of the physical duels.
Alessandro Bastoni – 5.5
The young Italian defender had his moments, but Cuadrado fooled him on two occasions that could have made the whole difference.
Denzel Dumfries – 6
It was a forgettable display from the Dutch wingback, but he got his payback from the reverse fixture (when he gave away a penalty) by earning the Beneamata’s spot kick.
Nicolò Barella – 6
The former Cagliari man had a slow start to the match and was second best to Rabiot, but grew into the encounter and produced a much-improved second half performance, helping Inter in taking the ball out of their areas on crucial occasions.
Marcelo Brozovic – 6
It wasn’t the Croatian’s finest display as he still appears short on fitness, but he remains an irreplaceable piece in Inzaghi’s jigsaw. Helped his teammates in maintaining possession at the back, and fought hard against Dybala.
Hakan Calhanoglu – 6
Reminiscently to Dumfries, the former Milan had a mediocre display, but he salvaged his night by scoring from the spot (although it took him two tries to nail it) which ultimately secured a historic win for the Italian champions.
Ivan Perisic – 6
The Croatian struggled to contain Cuadrado’s danger and failed to produce much upfront. However, he sprinted back to make one vital clearance to prevent Vlahovic from shooting in front of Handanovic’s goal.
Lautaro Martinez – 4.5
The Argentine started his night by earning an early booking for kicking Locatelli in the head. He almost got himself a second one, so Inzaghi wisely took him off early in the second period.
Edin Dzeko – 5
The Bosnian had little to no service throughout the match. Tried to escape the Juventus defenses on one occasion but was intercepted by de Ligt.
Inter Substitutes
Matteo Darmian – 6
The former Manchester United man looked more composed than Dumfries on the right side and helped D’Ambrosio in shutting down the Old Lady’s left flank.
Joaquin Correa – 5.5
The Argentine replaced his compatriot Lautaro who was under the threat of a second yellow card. Played a role in one dangerous chance for Inter, but he we was rarely seen as Juventus were the dominant side.
Arturo Vidal – N/A
Roberto Gagliardini – N/A
Robin Gosens – N/A