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With over 150 appearances in the Italian top-flight, Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella is one of the most experienced midfielders in the Serie A. The 23-year old has already played four seasons in the Italian first division and also a lone season in the Serie B with Como.
Despite being a regular fixture in the Inter line-up for the last two seasons, Barella's performances have often gone under the radar. Ever since he arrived at the club on a year-long loan deal in 2019, he has played over 60 matches for Inter across all competitions.
This season, Barella seems to have taken his game to the next level in terms of his goals and assists for Inter. He also featured in all six games for Inter in their Championship League group stage run.
In just 18 appearances in the Serie A this season, Barella has slammed two goals along with five assists. More than the numbers, the timing of these contributions is what has proved to be vital for Inter.
Nicolo Barella has scored important goals for Inter this season
In the game against his former club Cagliari, Barella scored a goal and an assist in Inter’s 3-1 win. Similarly, his crucial assist in the dying minutes against Parma allowed Inter to earn a draw.
While Inter never felt the significance of these contributions from Barella, the match against Juventus finally catapulted him into the spotlight.
Inter had not won a Derby D’Italia since 2015 and the odds were against them as they hosted Juventus last week. Despite taking the lead early in the game, lackluster finishing from Inter's front two kept Juventus in the game.
A game that could have potentially ended in a draw was turned into a statement win following a scintillating strike from Barella. This was a 2-0 victory that broke Inter’s duck against Juventus after five years.
Aside from his goal, Barella was exceptional throughout the night. The runs he made through the flanks kept Inter operating in the opposition half for most of the game.
Juventus were forced to sit back and defend given Inter’s regular counter-attacks, which were led by Barella. Inter manager Antonio Conte also praised the player after the game for his contributions to the win.
"Nicolò is an important player, as generous as I was when I was a footballer. He pours energy from all the pores, we must direct all this energy in the right way. He can become a mainstay for Inter in 10 years," said Antonio Conte.
Nicolo Barella, with all his energy and enthusiasm, is the odd one out in Conte’s aging side. For a side known primarily for its structured defense, Barella’s role as an attacking midfielder is often under-appreciated. The youngster is proving himself to be a talisman for Inter, and as Conte has said, he is a brilliant prospect for Inter in the long term.
