Edin Dzeko shined for Inter in their 2-0 Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen, scoring a goal and providing an assist to secure the three points.
The 36-year-old Bosnian forward has become increasingly important over the last few weeks following the recent injury suffered by Romelu Lukaku, filing in for the Belgian up front. The Chelsea loanee has not made an appearance since late August due to a muscle issue, but last night’s match showed that he shouldn’t worry about rushing his recovery.
The Italian press praised Dzeko for his impressive performance against Viktoria Plzen, where he scored the opener and provided the assist for Denzel Dumfries’ strike. La Gazzetta dello Sport underlined how Lukaku doesn’t need to rush back to action now, saying “he scored a goal, could’ve scored a couple more, and he gave one to Dumfries. He told Lukaku: ‘Recover calmly.”
Corriere dello Sport drew attention to the Bosnian’s work away from goal, noting how he was “clever at going ‘meet’ the action and opening up play.” Corriere della Sera commented on his natural ability and class, noting how the 36-year-old did “everything with simplicity, naturalness and precision.”
Dzeko joined Inter last summer from Roma in a deal worth around €1.5m. He’s scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 57 appearances since his arrival.
Dzeko’s ratings in the Italian newspapers:
La Gazzetta dello Sport: 7
Corriere dello Sport: 7.5
Tuttosport: 7.5
Corriere della Sera: 7