Lautaro Martinez is Football Italia’s MOTM in Inter’s 1-0 win over Napoli in a Supercoppa Final played in Ryiadh, Saudi Arabia.
Napoli
Gollini 7 – A few key saves to keep Napoli in the game. Could not avoid Lautaro’s winner.
Di Lorenzo 5.5 – Centre-back and full-back at the same time. He should have probably stayed closer to Lautaro when the Argentinean scored the winner.
Rrahmani 6.5 – Held tight until he could.
Juan Jesus 6 – He didn’t have the same freedom as against Fiorentina in the build-up but did what he could defensively until Lautaro’s last-gasp winner.
Zerbin 5.5 – Surprisingly started over Mario Rui after scoring a brace against Fiorentina in the semis. He played with enthusiasm, but it didn’t hurt. (58′ Ostigard 5.5)
Cajuste: 5.5 – A decent performance until Simeone’s red card. After that, he had only defensive duties. (74′ Raspadori 5.5)
Lobotka 6 – The difficult part started when Napoli were reduced to ten men.
Mazzocchi 5.5 – Started the second consecutive game for Napoli. Decent stamina, but was never really dangerous. (74′ Mario Rui 5)
Politano 5 – Just didn’t do enough to cause trouble for Inter. He tried hard, but he never succeeded. (70′ Lindstrom 6)
Simeone 5 – The first yellow card was probably harsh, but he could have avoided the foul that caused the second one. Left the pitch in disbelief.
Kvaratskhelia 6.5 – Surely Napoli’s most dangerous player. De Vrij won many duels, but boy, that was tough. (70′ Gaetano 5.5)
Coach: Mazzarri 6.5 – Napoli were brave and organised at the same time. The red card to Simeone forced the Tuscan to change his tactical plan.
Inter
Sommer 6.5 – An excellent save on Kvara at the beginning of the second half
Pavard: 7 – Helped Inter build from the back. He defended and attacked with an outstanding personality.
De Vrij 6.5 – Replaced Bastoni who was not fully fit. Kvara gave him a hard time, but the Dutchman lost sight of the Georgian just once. (62′ Carlos Augusto 6.5)
Acerbi 7 – Inter’s defensive leader. He played on the left and showed perfect positioning and impressive physicality. Is he really 35?
Darmian 7 – A complete performance from the Italian defender. High-level in attack and defence.
Barella 5.5 – The Italy star was probably a bit irritable and didn’t contribute as he usually does. He collected a yellow card that will force him out against Fiorentina on Sunday night. (63′ Frattesi 6.5)
Calhanoglu 5.5 – Inter’s heart and soul. Perhaps he was too aggressive, so he also got a yellow card to keep him on the sidelines next weekend.
Mkhitaryan 6.5 – Wasted a good chance from the edge of the box, but quality didn’t decrease throughout the game. Like a fine wine.
Dimarco 6 – We didn’t see any of his trademark passes or crosses, but he had to deal with Zerbin and Politano defensively. (81′ Arnautovic 6.5)
Lautaro Martinez 7.5 – Another decisive goal for the Argentinean striker who contributed to Inter’s third consecutive Supercoppa. El Toro is in the form of his life. Always in the right place at the right time. (92′ Bisseck N/A)
Thuram 5.5 – Lively and wasteful at the same time. The Frenchman had a couple of chances to score in the second half but got late on the ball. (81′ Sanchez 6.5)
Coach: Inzaghi 7.5 – Inter play the best football in Italy and it was evident even before Napoli were reduced to ten men. They also have the best striker in the league, so it’s not too surprising they won the trophy, although it was hard-fought.