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In the end, AS Roma proved to be the much more capable side. They beat us and were superior in most aspects on the field. Without Miranda to lead the defense, the back was all out of sorts. The front was also out of sorts due to lack of match day fitness and players being played out of position. This game provided few positives if any and proves Inter still have a long way to go if we are going to make strides up the table.
Players
Samir Handanovic - 5.5
Honestly, Handanovic cannot be blamed for any of the goals that went past him. Two of the three goals were absolute stunners from Nainggolan and the last goal came through Perotti's penalty. The goals conceded were largely due to the performance of the team and not down to Handanovic’s personal performance.
Jeison Murillo - 5.5
This was always going to be a difficult game for the defender without his Brazilian counterpart, but his defense against Roma was not up to par with his recent performances. Murillo made a couple of key interceptions and tackles, but also committed a number of mistakes.
Gary Medel - 5
This game should not define who Medel is as a player. He was tasked with marking the much taller Dzeko and keeping out formidable Roma attack. Unfortunately this task proved to great for the Chilean as he was late to pressure Nainngolan on the second goal and gifted Roma a penalty for their third goal.
Danilo D'Ambrosio - 5.5
Danilo was forced to play out of position as a center back against Roma. Now there were some notable deficiencies to his game, but overall he did not perform poorly. Even with all of the fouls he committed, Danilo did do a respectable job of limiting Salah’s influence on the match. His selection as the last center back makes you question if Pioli does not rate any of the other natural center backs on the team.
Antonio Candreva - 5
Playing Candreva as a wingback may not be in the team’s best interest for the remainder of the season. Against Juventus and now against Roma, Candreva has looked incredible out of place in this position. He struggled to make any impact on the game and sadly could not contribute offensively for much of the game. In this position, Candreva does not get the attacking freedom he needs to truly get at the opposition.
Roberto Gagliardini - 5.5
Since coming to Inter, Roberto has done a remarkable job. The youngster has only received his Serie A debut this season and is already playing like a seasoned veteran. This game did not go as well as previous matches for the young Italian. Our midfield was overrun by the Roma midfield which was highlighted by Nainngolan beating Roberto before scoring the opening goal.
Geoffrey Kondogbia - 6
Performed admirably for most of the match. He distributed the ball well and gave his all for most of the match, but in the end there was no options going forward. This made finding a man difficult as the team struggled to link the midfield with the front.
Ivan Perisic - 5.5
I do not understand why he was pushed back into a wingback role. Perisic has far too much offensive talent to be reserved to a defensive role. Perisic still managed to get an assist but I cannot help but feel he could offer more in an advanced role.
Joao Mario - 5.5
Did not produce any note worthy moments throughout the game. He struggled to have any influence on the game because the team was so disjointed going forward and was eventually subbed off.
Marcelo Brozovic - 5
I do not understand Pioli's choice to start Brozovic. Brozovic was just coming off an injury and was clearly not match fit for this game. Not only was Brozovic's fitness off, he also clearly did not understand the tactical nuances of his role and did not contribute anything substantial throughout the match. This led to the Croatian being justly substituted early into the second half.
Mauro Icardi - 6
Even when the team is not performing and Mauro is not receiving many chances, he still manages to score. After sitting out two games due to suspension, our captain came back and got a goal, but in the end the goal provided little more than consolation as the team still lost.
Substitutes
Eder - 5
Lately, Eder has been a super sub for Pioli. Pioli will bring him in the second half and Eder will inject danger into the side. Somewhat surprisingly, outside of drawing what many thought to be a penalty, Eder did not produce much in this match.
Gabriel Barbosa - 5
Came in and had no influence on the game. Those expecting to see his normal flare were out of luck as Gabriel barely got a touch in his limited time on the pitch.
Ever Banega - 5
Cannot blame Banega for having little influence on he match as he came on too late to make a real impact. Probably would have had more influence on the game if he had been brought on earlier.
Manager
Stefano Pioli - 5
Pioli made several mistakes this game. Sadly, several of the players he started were not match fit and probably should not have gotten the nod from the starting whistle. Further, the formation (and playing players out of position) did not suit the team and this was apparent from the very beginning. The team lacked a way to link up the midfield to the forwards and were left spraying the ball across the field hoping that an Inter player would latch onto it. Another thing that must be noted is how fragile the defense looks with Miranda. The defense is completely reliant upon the Brazilian defender for his skill and leadership which were sorely missed against Roma. Pioli has struggled to get results against big teams in the league, but hopefully he will turn that around.