Inter were held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Nassr on Thursday but saw Davide Frattesi score his first goal for the club. Here are the five things learned from the Nerazzurri’s first friendly in Japan.
Simone Inzaghi’s boys dominated the game, collecting 21 shots against seven, including nine on target. Their only goal came from new signing Davide Frattesi who was one of the standout performers and was replaced at minute 72.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Brozovic played in the first half, but all Al-Nassr outfield players were subbed off at the break.
Frattesi
The former Sassuolo midfielder has already shown what he can offer to Inter. His late runs will be a tactical key for Inzaghi this season. The Italy international scored his first Inter goal with a well-executed header at the far post. Interestingly, Frattesi played on centre-right in midfield, a position that was usually taken by Nicolò Barella in the previous seasons. The ex-Cagliari midfielder slightly changed his position playing centre-left against Al-Nassr with Hakan Calhanoglu as a deep-lying playmaker.
Lautaro
The Argentinean striker, who has recently rejected a big-money offer from Saudi Arabia, looked in shape but wasted several chances before being subbed off at minute 72. He also picked up a knock in his ankle at the beginning of the second half and was checked by Inter doctors after being replaced. It’s a minor physical issue which doesn’t seem to be a matter of concern for the Nerazzurri.
Thuram
The French striker was introduced during the break, replacing Joaquin Correa, who had wasted a goal-scoring opportunity in the opening 45 minutes. The early signs suggest Thuram will be Edin Dzeko’s replacement at the Stadio Meazza in 2023-24. The ex-Gladbach striker wearing Inter’s No.9, often came deep to collect the ball and link up attack and midfield. He is way faster than Dzeko, but the Bosnia international probably had more quality with the ball at his feet, something Thuram will need to work on.
Bisseck
The German centre-back played in the first half and was surprised by Anderson Talisca’s pass leading to Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s opener. To be fair, the Al-Nassr winger seemed slightly beyond Bisseck and his goal would have been reviewed in a competitive game with VAR. The 22-year-old is clearly settling in and will need time to adapt to the Nerazzurri’s defensive movements in a back-three.
Goalkeepers
It is no secret that Nerazzurri need two more goalkeepers for the new season. Yann Sommer is said to be close to joining the club, but in the meantime, Inzaghi must pick different players. Dejan Stankovic’s son Filip started in goal and was replaced at minute 72 by new signing Raffaele Di Gennaro. There wasn’t much Stankovic could do to avoid Al-Nassr’s goal, but the 21-year-old had previously produced a save to deny Talisca’s header. His brother Aleksandar, 17, was introduced in the second half, replacing Alessandro Bastoni.
Inter line-up
Inter (3-5-2): Stankovic F. (72′ Di Gennaro); Bisseck (46′ Darmian), De Vrij (46′ Acerbi), Bastoni (72′ Stankovic A.); Dumfries (46′ Cuadrado), Barella 6 (46′ Sensi), Calhanoglu (46′ Asllani), Frattesi (72′ Fabbian), Gosens (46′ Dimarco); Lautaro (72′ Esposito), Correa (46′ Thuram).