Following a turbulent summer at Appiano Gentile, the reigning champions had to restart with a new technical staff at the helm as well as some changes in personnel, but things remained the same. Reminiscently to the previous campaign, the Nerazzurri started relatively slow before snatching the lead from their crosstown rivals in the middle of the season. While we’ll have to wait till spring to find out if the finale will be similar as well, the early signs surely leans towards a familiar scenery. Luckily for the champs, the vast majority of their stars have been on song so far, but as always, some did better than others. So let’s check out the best and worst performers at Inter thus far in 2021/22.
Flop #3 – Arturo Vidal
With the majority of the squad delivering the goods under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi, it’s not easy to spot the flops (AKA the players who have performed below the expectations).
The Chilean is obviously in the twilight years of his career, but after kicking off the campaign with a goal and assist against Genoa, some of us tipped him for a late revival.
Nevertheless, the former Juventus midfielder has only made one Serie A start this term and hasn’t contributed in a single league goal since matchday one.
Top #3 – Milan Skriniar
The competition for the best performers among Inter players is surely a tight one, but Milan Skriniar’s great displays earned him a spot on the list.
The Slovak held the backline formidably even when its de facto leader Stefan de Vrij was out injured. He also contributed in a couple of goals.
An absolute rock at the back.
Flop #2 – Stefano Sensi
For the third season in a row, Stefano Sensi is failing to cement himself a starting role with the Beneamata.
At this point, one can hardly fault the successive managers who are reluctant to put their trust in player that is more often injured than not.
We do feel for the young man whos fitness level has already cost him so much in his career, but we must admit that his stint at the Giuseppe Meazza has been major letdown, at least for now.
Top #2 – Hakan Calhanoglu
Perhaps Sensi would have managed to sneak in to the starting lineup whenever fit, but the arrival of Hakan Calhanoglu made the Italian’s situation much more complicated.
The former Milan man smoothly adjusted to life on the other side of the city, and has swiftly established himself as a fan favorite.
With his six Serie A goals and eight assists, it’s hard to argue against the stats. The Turkey international has undoubtedly been one of the best performers at Inter this season.
Flop #1 – Aleksandar Kolarov
When Aleskandar Kolarov made the switch from Roma to Inter in 2020, the Serbian was still considered to be one of the best left-backs in Italy despite his advanced age.
However, the 36-year-old now finds himself as a forgotten benchwarmer with the Nerazurri, and if there’s anything left in the tank, then he must find himself a new home sooner rather than later.
Top #1 – Marcelo Brozovic
First, we must pay tribute to all the Inter stars who have been performing admirably this campaign but missed out on selection.
We’re talking about the likes of Alessandro Bastoni, Ivan Perisic, Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez who has already bagged 11 goals in the league.
But after all, it’s Marcelo Brozovic who makes it tick at the heart of the champions’ lineup.
The Inter midfielder is the best deep-lying playmaker in Serie A today, and he’s the one who construct the play from the back, runs hard to retrieve the ball and links all the lines together.
No one has been constantly delivering this season quite like the Croatian Regista.
112 – Marcelo Brozovic has been involved in the most open play sequences ending in shots in Serie A this season (112), while he has also been the player to have attempted the most passes so far (1380). Professor.#SerieA #OptaTopXI pic.twitter.com/LmmqULtZQ4
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) December 23, 2021