Marko Arnautovic reportedly ignored Barella’s instructions and the team’s established hierarchy before taking and missing the penalty in Inter’s last-gasp Champions League win against Young Boys.
The Austria international had the chance to break the deadlock for the Nerazzurri immediately after the break but his shot from the spot lacked strength and conviction, allowing goalkeeper David von Ballmoos to save it.
Arnautovic wasn’t Inter’s designated penalty taker against Young Boys
As much as Inzaghi insisted that Arnautovic and attacking partner Mehdi Taremi were both penalty takers ‘in the absence of Calhanoglu’, the Italian press suggests the Iran international was the first-choice option for the task.
According to calciomercato.com, Nicolò Barella approached Arnautovic when the latter was about to take Inter’s penalty to remind him of the team’s hierarchy, but the striker was so willing to ‘prove something’ that he decided to carry out the duty anyway.
His decision eventually turned into a further blow to his confidence, already undermined by a troubled first season at the San Siro, during which he scored five goals in 27 Serie A appearances and drew heavy criticism for missing scoring opportunities on several occasions, including in the Champions League’s round-of-16 first leg against Atletico Madrid.