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Serie A holders Inter Milan kicked off their 2021-22 Champions League campaign on Wednesday night at the San Siro. The Nerazzurri welcomed 13-time winners Real Madrid into town and did their best to snatch points off them. Unfortunately for the home supporters, Los Blancos substitute Rodrygo stepped up in the 89th minute to lead his team to victory. The Brazilian latched on to new-signing Eduardo Camavinga’s cut-back to seal a 1-0 win for Real Madrid.
Inter, who were defeated twice in the group stage by Los Blancos in 2020-21, fought long and hard for the entirety of the match. Unfortunately, a lapse in concentration in the final stretch kept them from opening their account in this season’s UEFA Champions League.
Many Inter players were impressive in their Group D opener against Real Madrid, and today we are going to pick the best of the bunch. Now, without further ado, let's take a look at Inter’s top five players in their opening-day defeat against Los Blancos.
#5 Alessandro Bastoni
Inter Milan went with three centre-backs in defense against Real Madrid on Wednesday night. Alessandro Bastoni, who was deployed as a left centre-back, put on a respectable show. The 22-year-old Italian defender was tireless throughout the 90 minutes and played a significant part in suffocating the Real Madrid attackers.
Thanks to his tenacity, the likes of Karim Benzema and Lucas Vazquez, did not have much joy on the right-hand side. Bastoni was always there to cut off their passing lanes inside or just outside the box.
The defender was also a threat in the opposition box during corners and came mighty close to converting from a ruckus in the second half. Bastoni may not have been able to secure a win for Inter, but his performance was far from disappointing.
#4 Hakan Calhanoglu
Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu operated on the left-hand side of the pitch against Real Madrid on Wednesday and kept the game ticking. While the right side of Inter’s midfield remained stagnant for the majority of the match, Calhanoglu made sure there was some initiative on the left.
Thanks to his passing, Inter created plenty of chances in the first half, but neither Edin Dzeko nor Lautaro Martinez could finish them off. Calhanoglu even floated a perfect corner in the second half, only for Dzeko to hit it directly at Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois.
#3 Edin Dzeko
Inter signed Edin Dzeko from AS Roma in the summer as Romelu Lukaku’s replacement. The 35-year-old striker did his best to make his mark at the San Siro on Wednesday. No, he did not score or assist, but his movements in and around the Real Madrid box were pretty impressive.
The Bosnian sharpshooter was deployed alongside Lautaro Martinez in the attack and linked with his partner effortlessly. He used his physicality to his advantage and won the most duels (7). Real Madrid had a particularly hard time containing him in the first half but they improved in the second.
Dzeko, who was fouled four times in the match, registered three shots, keeping all of them on target. He came close to scoring the opener in the 54th minute from a well-taken Hakan Calhanoglu corner, but Thibaut Courtois was up to the task. All in all, it was a decent game from the forward, but he failed to put in the much-needed finishing touch.
#2 Stefan de Vrij
Inter’s defender-in-chief Stefan de Vrij may not be the most excitable centre-back in the world, but he sure knows how to make an impact. Against Real Madrid, he was tasked with keeping a lid on Karim Benzema, who had scored a hat-trick in his last La Liga match. De Vrij rose to the challenge and nullified Benzema’s threat expertly.
The Dutchman also contributed to Inter’s attack from time to time and was an expert interceptor of the ball. The Netherlands international barely put a step wrong throughout the match but still ended up on the losing side following a lapse in judgment.
Inter's number 6 failed to read Rodrygo’s movement in the dying minutes of the match and watched on helplessly as the Brazilian scored. The youngster’s cheeky movement caught De Vrij off-guard, with the Dutchman busy tracking Nacho’s run at the time.
#1 Marcelo Brozovic
Even without Toni Kroos, Real Madrid possess one of the most versatile midfields in the world. Luka Modric, Casemiro and Fede Valverde started for Los Blancos on Wednesday, hoping to suffocate Inter’s midfield. Their experience in the competition gave them the upper hand, but Inter's number 77 was having none of it.
Croatian central midfielder Marcelo Brozovic went toe-to-toe with his countryman Modric to keep Real Madrid from taking control of midfield. With 99, Brozovic completed the most passes in the match, which was impressive against Real’s world-class midfielders.
He pushed forward, dropped deep, cut passing lanes, and even came mighty close to hitting the back of the net. At the San Siro, Brozovic was Inter’s brightest spark and probably deserved to go home with at least a point.
