Inter 7-1 Atalanta: Player Ratings

Inter’s 7-1 domination of Atalanta on Sunday was such a refreshing result. The team put in a wonderful performance and demonstrated how ruthless it can be when all eleven players are in sync.

While a win of this magnitude — and hat tricks from not one, but two players — are unlikely to happen on a regular basis, Inter were at their best in this match, and that’s good news for fans of the Nerazzurri, and bad news for any team that has to face Inter in the near future.

While it’s certainly tempting to give everyone 10s, here’s my attempt to grade the individuals that featured in Inter’s amazing win on Sunday.

Players

Samir Handanovic – 7

There was nothing he could do about Atalata’s one goal. The Slovenian also made a few good saves. Not much more you could ask for.

Danilo D’Ambrosio – 7

D’Ambrosio wasn’t as involved in the Inter’s offensive onslaught as you might expect, but it was a solid performance from the Italian nonetheless. Nothing he did on the day stood out in a negative way, which is certainly an improvement.

Miranda – 7.5

Miranda was excellent in this match. He’s clearly Inter’s best defender, and the consistency at the back is sorely missed when the Brazilian is out of the lineup.

Gary Medel – 7

Another solid performance from the Chilean. He didn’t do much wrong all match.

Cristian Ansaldi – 7

It was nice to see Ansaldi play well on Sunday. Pioli’s decision to go with four at the back paid dividends, and allowed Perisic and Candreva to focus solely on their jobs as wingers. I, for one, like when that happens.

Geoffrey Kondogbia – 7.5

His one-on-one matchup with Franck Kessie was much hyped entering the match. Kondogbia won that matchup convincingly. While he didn’t contribute with goals, his solid performance in the midfield went a long way in allowing Inter the freedom in the final third of pitch.

Roberto Gagliardini – 7.5

It was great to see the young Italian find the back of the net. Aside from getting on the scoresheet, his partnership with Kondogbia continues to be a joy to watch. Now, will he keep his word and have to shave his head after scoring against Ataltana?

Antonio Candreva – 8

Two assists on the day for the Italian in what was a solid overall performance.

Ever Banega – 10

My goodness, Ever Banega. Two assists and a hat trick. He was simply outstanding in what was undoubtedly a world-class display.

Ivan Perisic – 7.5

Perisic really could have opened the scoring in the third minute, but thankfully it didn’t matter. It wasn’t a bad performance from the Croatian, but he was certainly outshone by others.

Mauro Icardi – 9.5

What can you say about a nine-minute hat trick? The Inter captain was marvelous on Sunday.

Substitutes

Joao Mario – 6.5

His 20-minute cameo was fine. The game was well over at that point, but his appearance allowed Ever Banega to get the proper ovation he deserved.

Rodrigo Palacio – 6

He was fine. That being said, his name is not Gabriel Barbosa, so I am disappointed that he was selected off of the bench in the rout.

Eder – 6

See above

Manager

Stefano Pioli – 9

He selected the right team, and the result was spectacular. Not much more you could ask for. I just really wish he gave some playimg time to Gabigol instead of Palacio or Eder, but it would be inappropriate to criticize the Italian after the unbelievable victory.