Juventus 1-0 Inter Milan: 5 Talking Points and Observations, Serie A 2018-19

#5 The evergreen Mario Mandzukic

Mandzukic is one of the most underrated footballers in the world of football

Many fans had Cristiano Ronaldo or Mauro Icardi pipped to be the man to break the deadlock tonight. I'd predicted earlier amongst a group of my friends that it'd be the three lunged Croat who'd be the match winner tonight and they'd laughed me off, pipping Ronaldo, Icardi or Dybala as their match winners.

The Croatian machine scored his 4th goal in his last 5 games, and his 7th of the season overall, heading in Cancelo's brilliant cross at the far post beyond the sprawling Handanovic. His presence and style of play are absolutely crucial for Juventus' success this season, as he is their first line of defence, pressing the opposition players deep in their own half, harrying them and never giving them a moment's rest.

In attack, he drops to the flanks to let Ronaldo get into better shooting positions, and despite that, the 32-year-old still constantly pops up with important goals on big occasions, like he did tonight.

He is one of the most important players in this Juve team, with his tactical acumen, brilliance in front of goal and never say die attitude is essential for the players around him to flourish, particularly the partnership of Ronaldo and Dybala, who have benefited immensely from the Croatian's presence.

His importance to the Croatian National Team's run into the World Cup Final cannot be understated, and the Silver medalists are still struggling in trying to find the best fit to replace the 32-year-old, who announced his international retirement after the final's heartbreak.