Bonny & Bastoni shine for Chivu
Inter Milan emerged 1-0 winners against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening, with Ange-Yoan Bonny scoring the winner and Alessandro Bastoni bolstering Cristian Chivu’s defence.
La Gazzetta dello Sport were slightly critical in their ratings of the Nerazzurri overall, but singled out Bonny and Bastoni as Chivu’s brightest performers.
On the front line, Ange-Yoan Bonny (7) once again justified the faith of Cristian Chivu.
Described as a “blessed choice,” the Frenchman struck with the economy and aggression that is quickly becoming his signature: two consecutive starts, two goals and hard work with the ball.
Behind him, Nicolas Barella (6.5) assembled Inter, setting the tempo before the collective dive and delivering the decisive pass for Bonny’s winner.
While Bonny finished the job, Alessandro Bastoni (7) ensured Roma never had it easy.
The left centre-back defended on the front foot, stepping in on several occasions to put pressure on Soule and organizing the line as Inter were forced to suffer further after the break.
Alongside him, Manuel Akanji (6.5) provided poise and bite on the right side of the trio, while Yann Sommer (6.5) provided quiet assurance throughout the match with a competent performance.
Aside from Bonny and Bastoni, Inter ‘functional’ in victory against Roma
The rest of the entries were “functional rather than flamboyant.”
Francesco Acerbi, Denzel Dumfries, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco (all 6) brought work rate and structure but without the usual spark.
Two big names didn’t make it.
Hakan Calhanoglu (5.5) struggled to dictate the pace, although his embrace of Chivu’s aggressive press was evident.
Lautaro Martinez (5 years old) still suffered from travel fatigue in his legs, and was finally removed.
From the bench, Francesco Pio Esposito (6.5) injected personality and energy, while Davide Frattesi (6) helped close the lanes.
Petar Sucic (5.5) failed to find the timing in limited minutes.
In short: Bonny decided it, Bastoni controlled it, Barella and Sommer supported it.
