Juventus 1-1 Inter: 3 Juventus players who impressed the most

Juventus overcame Inter on penalties in China
Juventus overcame Inter on penalties in China

#2 - Merih Demiral

Merih Demiral enhanced his reputation with a solid performance against Inter
Merih Demiral enhanced his reputation with a solid performance against Inter

Merih Demiral's signing has been overshadowed by Juve's big money capture of Matthijs de Ligt. The Turkish International joined for a fee of €18 million this summer and although it initially looked like he could be loaned out, his performances in pre-season are sure going to make it a difficult decision for the coaching staff.

Demiral replaced fellow new signing de Ligt at the back in the second half and the bullish centre-half refused to be beaten, as he kept growing in stature throughout the game.

The towering defender kept Inter at bay and prevented every attack that came his way as Juve kept a clean sheet in the second half.

Added to his exemplary defensive performance, the 21-year-old put the icing on the cake in some style as he scored the winning spot-kick for Juve in the penalty shoot-out, helping them to a 4-3 win.

First impressions matter and in football, players tend to revel in their cult-hero status. Demiral has certainly made himself a hero with his heroics, as no game against Inter is considered a friendly for the Bianconeri faithful.

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