Inter Milan 1-2 Juventus: Player ratings as Ronaldo brace inspires Bianconeri comeback | Coppa Italia 2020-21
Juventus fought back from 1-0 down to grab an impressive 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday night.
Last week, Juventus progressed from the quarter-finals, thanks to Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa's goals, cruising to a 4-0 victory over Serie B side SPAL.
On the other hand, Inter Milan, who have bettered their quarter-final run of last season, are aiming to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since 2011; they had battled for a 2-1 victory over AC Milan in the quarter-finals last week.
The semi-final against Juventus was off to a flyer in the ninth minute when Argentine-born striker Lautaro Martinez tucked home Nicolo Barella’s low cross to give the hosts the lead.
However, Juventus fought back and were soon awarded a penalty after Ashley Young’s foul on Cuadrado. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and drilled a powerful shot down the middle past Samir Handanovic to put the visitors on level terms.
In a goal-laden first half, Juventus completed the comeback when Ronaldo capitalised on a defensive mistake to score his 22nd goal in 23 games this season.
Inter Milan came close to an equaliser on several occasions, but Juventus held firm to take the lead ahead of the all-important second leg.
Andrea Pirlo’s men now have one foot in the Coppa Italia final after losing against Napoli in the title match last season.
On that note, let us take a look at the player ratings of both teams.
Inter Milan Player ratings
Samir Handanovic 5/10
A fatal error from the Inter Milan shot-stopper gifted Ronaldo his second of the night. Samir Handanovic did make a few stops to keep his side in the game in the second half, though.
Stefan de Vrij 6/10
It was a shaky first-half performance, Stefan de Vrij had co-ordination issues with Alessandro Bastoni. However, he put on a better outing in the second half, preventing Juventus from extending their lead.
Alessandro Bastoni 5.5/10
Alessandro Bastoni put on a solid performance for Antonio Conte’s side; however, he failed to follow his marker, which cost Inter Milan the second goal.
Milan Skriniar 6/10
In a sub-par outing, the Inter Milan man did dish out some dangerous passes at the backline. Milan Skriniar, however, won all his ground and aerial duels.
Matteo Darmian 5.5/10
Matteo Darmian struggled to handle Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi on the right flank and offered little or no attacking threat to the Juventus defence.
The former Manchester United full-back also missed a chance that could have drawn Inter Milan level in the 69th minute.
Nicolo Barella 6.5/10
One of Inter Milan's finest performers, Nicolo Barella, calmly laid the assist for Lautaro Martinez to open the scoring. However, he fizzled out as the game progressed.
Marcelo Brozovic 5/10
The Croatian was involved in the defensive miscommunication that led to Ronaldo’s second goal for Juventus. Marcelo Brozovic failed to make a positive impact in the game.
Arturo Vidal 6/10
In a rock-solid display, the industrious midfielder provided the right defensive cover in midfield, allowing the likes of Brozovic and Barella to roam forward freely.
Arturo Vidal, however, picked up a yellow card for a reckless sliding tackle on Ronaldo in the 38th minute.
Ashley Young 5.5/10
Ashley Young gifted Juventus a way back into the game after pulling back Colombian international Juan Cuadrado, who tried to get on to a whipped cross in the Inter Milan box.
Young provided support for his frontmen in the second half but was unable to redeem himself before getting replaced by Ivan Perisic in the 66th minute.
Lautaro Martinez 7/10
Lautaro Martinez scored Inter Milan’s only goal of the night nine minutes into the game and remained their most threatening player throughout the match. The Argentine linked up well with Nicolo Barella and Alexis Sanchez as his side pushed for an equaliser.
Alexis Sanchez 6/10
The former Manchester United forward perfectly held up play to lay the ball to Barella, who found Martinez for Inter Milan’s opener. He came closest to grabbing the equaliser for Inter Milan, but his well-struck effort was cleared off the line by Juventus' Merih Demiral.
Player ratings of Inter Milan substitutes
Ivan Perisic 5.5/10
Ivan Perisic, who came on for Ashley Young in the 66th minute, injected life into the Inter Milan attack. He mounted pressure on the left-hand side of the Juventus defence but failed to pose a significant threat to Andes Pirlo’s men.
Christian Eriksen 5.5/10
Christian Eriksen saw his shot from the edge of the box saved by Gianluigi Buffon. The Dane provided an attacking option for Inter Milan but failed to break Juventus’ water-tight defensive line.
Stefano Sensi 4/10
The Italian Stefano Sensi came on for the final five minutes of the game for Marcelo Brozovic but failed to make an impact for the hosts.
Andrea Pinamonti 4/10
Andrea Pinamonti failed to make a telling contribution after coming on in the 85th minute for central defender Alessandro Bastoni.