Read on Twitter
A quick thread of analysis on Alessandro #Bastoni for #Inter against #Napoli
Quick Stats -
Passes completed 42/45 (93%)
18 Forward Passes
#InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
Quick Stats -
Passes completed 42/45 (93%)
18 Forward Passes
#InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
#Bastoni starts as expected as left sided centre back in Conte’s preferred 3-5-2/5-3-2. Early in the game #Inter are happy to allow #Napoli possession.
#InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
#InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
When #Inter are in possession Gagliardini can drop into the defence allowing #Bastoni to push wide and forward, allowing Young to move inside. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
#Bastoni steps out from the back to close down #Zielinski This usually results in Young dropping back to form a back 4. However this does cause problems because of Napoli’s movement. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
Just 6 mins into the game after pushing out to close down Zielinski, there is a mix up between #Bastoni and Young about who should follow Lozano’s run. Young should match the run, but leaves him to an out of position #Bastoni to chase. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
#Bastoni goes forward 13 mins into the game and over laps Young. This results in him finding space, but the cross goes straight to Ospina. This early attacking promise shows what he is capable of, but we do not see enough of this throughout the game. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
Defensively he copes well in the air, 28 mins into the game he wins an aerial duel with #Koulibaly from a corner. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
However, after being caught under the ball from an Ospina clearance, Bastoni shows great recovery pace to catch up with Lozano, but the Mexican is able to cut inside and find space far too easily. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
One of Bastoni’s strengths for me is his calmness under pressure - 54 mins Brozovic plays a short pass to him, but he calmly turns Zielinski, moves forward and plays a forward pass. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
Again, much later in the game he receives the ball under pressure from a goal kick, and he calmly chips the ball out wide to the substitute D’Ambrosio. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
Despite having this calmness on the ball, he can be rash when trying to win it back. He commits a ridiculous and needless foul 64 mins into the game on Lozano. How he wasn’t booked I don’t know. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
His passing stats look fantastic, but there was a clear and safe pattern of passes throughout the game. The most common was forward and wide to Young or inside to de Vrij. Only occasionally he went inside to Brozovic or switched play to Skriniar. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
As mentioned earlier despite early promise of posing an attacking threat, this did not materialise. After Napoli were down to ten, we saw a glimpse of what he is capable of after he drives forward passing two Napoli players and playing a forward pass. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
It’s clear though that Conte’s players have firm instructions and patterns of play. Even against ten men, he makes a defensive change taking off Martinez for Hakimi to essentially play 5-4-1 for the final part of the game. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
I’m a fan of #Bastoni , but for me some of his main strengths are restricted by Conte’s rigid patterns of play. This approach worked tonight though as despite creating very little, #Inter won the game. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
Fans of Nerazzuri generally won’t care about style as long as they are successful, but if they end up without a trophy again this season they’ll begin to question whether this style of play is worth it. End of thread. Grazie. #InterNapoli #FORZAINTER
