Inter Milan 1-2 Juventus: Player ratings as Ronaldo brace inspires Bianconeri comeback | Coppa Italia 2020-21
Juventus fought back from 1-0 down to grab an impressive 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday night.
Last week, Juventus progressed from the quarter-finals, thanks to Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa's goals, cruising to a 4-0 victory over Serie B side SPAL.
On the other hand, Inter Milan, who have bettered their quarter-final run of last season, are aiming to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since 2011; they had battled for a 2-1 victory over AC Milan in the quarter-finals last week.
The semi-final against Juventus was off to a flyer in the ninth minute when Argentine-born striker Lautaro Martinez tucked home Nicolo Barella’s low cross to give the hosts the lead.
However, Juventus fought back and were soon awarded a penalty after Ashley Young’s foul on Cuadrado. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and drilled a powerful shot down the middle past Samir Handanovic to put the visitors on level terms.
In a goal-laden first half, Juventus completed the comeback when Ronaldo capitalised on a defensive mistake to score his 22nd goal in 23 games this season.
Inter Milan came close to an equaliser on several occasions, but Juventus held firm to take the lead ahead of the all-important second leg.
Andrea Pirlo’s men now have one foot in the Coppa Italia final after losing against Napoli in the title match last season.
On that note, let us take a look at the player ratings of both teams.
Inter Milan Player ratings
Samir Handanovic 5/10
A fatal error from the Inter Milan shot-stopper gifted Ronaldo his second of the night. Samir Handanovic did make a few stops to keep his side in the game in the second half, though.
Stefan de Vrij 6/10
It was a shaky first-half performance, Stefan de Vrij had co-ordination issues with Alessandro Bastoni. However, he put on a better outing in the second half, preventing Juventus from extending their lead.
Alessandro Bastoni 5.5/10
Alessandro Bastoni put on a solid performance for Antonio Conte’s side; however, he failed to follow his marker, which cost Inter Milan the second goal.
Milan Skriniar 6/10
In a sub-par outing, the Inter Milan man did dish out some dangerous passes at the backline. Milan Skriniar, however, won all his ground and aerial duels.
Matteo Darmian 5.5/10
Matteo Darmian struggled to handle Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi on the right flank and offered little or no attacking threat to the Juventus defence.
The former Manchester United full-back also missed a chance that could have drawn Inter Milan level in the 69th minute.
Nicolo Barella 6.5/10
One of Inter Milan's finest performers, Nicolo Barella, calmly laid the assist for Lautaro Martinez to open the scoring. However, he fizzled out as the game progressed.
Marcelo Brozovic 5/10
The Croatian was involved in the defensive miscommunication that led to Ronaldo’s second goal for Juventus. Marcelo Brozovic failed to make a positive impact in the game.
Arturo Vidal 6/10
In a rock-solid display, the industrious midfielder provided the right defensive cover in midfield, allowing the likes of Brozovic and Barella to roam forward freely.
Arturo Vidal, however, picked up a yellow card for a reckless sliding tackle on Ronaldo in the 38th minute.
Ashley Young 5.5/10
Ashley Young gifted Juventus a way back into the game after pulling back Colombian international Juan Cuadrado, who tried to get on to a whipped cross in the Inter Milan box.
Young provided support for his frontmen in the second half but was unable to redeem himself before getting replaced by Ivan Perisic in the 66th minute.
Lautaro Martinez 7/10
Lautaro Martinez scored Inter Milan’s only goal of the night nine minutes into the game and remained their most threatening player throughout the match. The Argentine linked up well with Nicolo Barella and Alexis Sanchez as his side pushed for an equaliser.
Alexis Sanchez 6/10
The former Manchester United forward perfectly held up play to lay the ball to Barella, who found Martinez for Inter Milan’s opener. He came closest to grabbing the equaliser for Inter Milan, but his well-struck effort was cleared off the line by Juventus' Merih Demiral.
Player ratings of Inter Milan substitutes
Ivan Perisic 5.5/10
Ivan Perisic, who came on for Ashley Young in the 66th minute, injected life into the Inter Milan attack. He mounted pressure on the left-hand side of the Juventus defence but failed to pose a significant threat to Andes Pirlo’s men.
Christian Eriksen 5.5/10
Christian Eriksen saw his shot from the edge of the box saved by Gianluigi Buffon. The Dane provided an attacking option for Inter Milan but failed to break Juventus’ water-tight defensive line.
Stefano Sensi 4/10
The Italian Stefano Sensi came on for the final five minutes of the game for Marcelo Brozovic but failed to make an impact for the hosts.
Andrea Pinamonti 4/10
Andrea Pinamonti failed to make a telling contribution after coming on in the 85th minute for central defender Alessandro Bastoni.
Juventus Player Ratings
Gianluigi Buffon 6/10
The veteran goalkeeper made several vital stops to keep Juventus in the lead. Gianluigi Buffon, however, failed to keep a clean sheet, as he was beaten by Lautaro Martinez in the first half.
Juan Cuadrado 7/10
In a super outing, Juan Cuadrado displayed determination to join the attack on the right flank; his diligence was rewarded when he won a penalty leading to Juventus' equaliser in the 26th minute.
Matthijs de Ligt 7/10
The former Ajax star orchestrated and controlled Juventus' defensive line, preventing the hosts from finding a way back into the game. He finished with two clearances, two blocks, five interceptions and as many tackles in a solid performance.
Merih Demiral 7/10
The 22-year-old defender paired superbly with De Ligt at the heart of the Juventus defence. Merih Demiral's sensational goal-line clearance prevented Inter Milan a way back into the game, as he cleared a goal-bound Alexis Sanchez strike.
Alex Sandro 6/10
The Brazilian was solid all night, holding his ground against Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez. Alex Sandro was, however, shown a yellow card for a rather cynical challenge on Matteo Darmian.
Federico Bernardeschi 6/10
The 26-year-old operated on the left-wing of the Juventus attack, where he linked up well with Cristiano Ronaldo. Federico Bernardeschi, however, failed to offer any serious threat to Inter Milan's defence and was hooked off by Andrea Pirlo in the 69th minute.
Rodrigo Bentancur 6/10
Alongside Weston McKennie, Rodrigo Bentancur helped dictate the pace for Juventus from the centre of midfield. He paired well with France international Adrien Rabiot to keep play ticking for the visitors all night.
Adrien Rabiot (7/10)
The only Juventus midfielder to play the full 90 minutes, Adrien Rabiot was impressive on the night. He might not have got on the scoresheet, but he bossed the Juventus midfield, standing his ground against the likes of Arturo Vidal and Nicolo Barella.
Weston McKennie 6/10
It was an industrious and tenacious display from the American once again. Weston McKennie was buzzing in the Juventus midfield, covering lot of ground, spreading the ball to his team makes and occasionally joining the attack too.
McKennie wasn’t impactful in creating chances but still delivered a decent performance.
Dejan Kulusevski 5/10
It was a quiet night from the Sweden international, as Dejan Kulusevski looked a show of himself and failed to probe the Inter Milan defence.
He finished with no shots on target, no chances created, no tackles or interception and completed just 78% of his 18 passes on the night. Kulusevski contributed little or nothing to Juventus' victory and was replaced in the 89th minute by Federico Chiesa.
Cristiano Ronaldo 9/10
In a 'Man of the Match' performance, Cristiano Ronaldo bagged two first-half goals to help Juventus come from behind to grab a hard-earned win.
He coolly converted from the penalty spot, giving Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic no chance, before pouncing on a defensive error in the 36th minute to give the Bianconeri the lead.
Ronaldo has now scored 22 goals in 23 games across all competitions this season, as Juventus are on course for a second cup success this campaign.
Player ratings of Juventus substitutes
Danilo 6/10
Danilo came on in the 69th minute for Federico Bernardeschi and injected life in the Juventus side. He made one clearance while completing 100% of his dribble attempts.
Arthur 5/10
The former Barcelona man Arthur replaced Bentancur in the 76th minute and kept play moving for Juventus in the centre of the park.
Alvaro Morata 5/10
Alvaro Morata replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the 77th minute but made no telling impact, as he failed to offer the threat the 35-year-old posed. He picked up a needless foul in the 90th minute to round up a quiet night though.
Giorgio Chiellini N/A
The veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini was brought on in the 90th minute for McKennie but made no telling contribution.
Federico Chiesa N/A
Coming on in the 89th minute, Federico Chiesa made no telling contribution, as he was only used by Juventus to run down the clock.
Quick Links
Bhargav