Hakan Calhanoglu scored a wonderful goal to spark Inter’s 3-0 win away to Napoli, but explains why a new side to his game has been discovered. ‘It is not easy to be a playmaker after a trequartista.’
The Turkey international has always been famous for his ferocious long-range finishes and added another to the list with this evening’s daisy-cutter into the bottom corner.
His team went on to win 3-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, as Nicolò Barella and Marcus Thuram completed the rout.
“Napoli have a lot of quality and it was important for us to send this signal to everyone,” Calhanoglu told Sky Sport Italia.
“We stayed sharp and concentrated, pressed high to make sure they couldn’t move the ball around. They have such great individuals like Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen and Politano who like to run at opponents, so we limited them by refusing to sit deep. I think that was the key.”
When he was playing for Milan, Calhanoglu was often disappointing and only showed flashes of his current performances when placed behind the strikers.
However, since having to fill in for the injured Marcelo Brozovic, he has found a whole new lease of life as a midfield playmaker, even chasing down loose balls and making last-ditch tackles.
“I always did have that hunger to help the team, you are just not used to seeing it. I can say it is not easy to be a playmaker after being a trequartista. I analysed many situations, the staff helped me. I get a few more yellow cards, but that’s just part of the role.”
This victory allows Inter to retain top spot and a two-point advantage over Juventus.