Round 28 of Serie A saw Inter Milan bring Atalanta back down to earth with a savage thud as Icardi and co blew their Lombardy rivals away in devastating fashion.The Nerazzurri backed up their demolition of Cagliari last week with a 7-1 victory in this one which gives them an extraordinary 12 goals in two games.
 

The match was effectively over after just 26 minutes as captain Icardi had Inter 3 goals up with a hat trick in the space of just nine minutes. The skipper put in a stand out performance in front of a roaring home crowd, leaving many wondering how he is not in the Argentinean national team.  


 

The game began in scintillating fashion, played at a high tempo with both sides going at it with some end to end football. However it all went Inter's way after the 14th minute following a deflected Ever Banega free kick which fell nicely for Icardi to fire home. Eight minutes later, the hitman picked himself up from a foul to slot home an audacious “Paneka” style penalty but it was his third goal that really showed his desire and determination, as he leapt and attacked a Banega cross with more gusto than anyone else to power home a brilliant header.
 

If there was any doubt about his dedication and commitment to the Nerazzurri shirt, this performance completely quashed that as he showed he is more than deserving to lead the team out every week.

 

The same can be said about his supporting cast, as Ever Banega followed up his great performance last week with a hat trick of his own. The Argentine was again playing in his favoured position and was a pleasure to watch being a constant threat to Atalanta who were powerless to stop him. He also added another assist for the always outstanding Roberto Gagliardini. It was a subdued celebration against his boyhood club following a vicious strike into the top corner.



His performance was once again nothing short of spectacular as alongside Geoffrey Kondogbia, they dominated the midfield and made it almost impossible for Atalanta to gain any meaningful possession. With Gianpiero Ventura in attendance, it’s almost certain he will have a huge role to play with the national team.  The 22-year-old showed his defensive qualities as well as it was his perfectly timed tackle that led to Banega’s second goal and Inter’s fifth.

 

It’s no coincidence Inter have racked up almost all their points using the 4-2-3-1 system instead of a three man back-line as it allows the players to fully express themselves in attack. You could see how much more of a threat Antonio Candreva was when he didn’t have to spend so much time defending and although not getting on the scoresheet, the Italian international provided two assists to Banega and was constantly whipping in his trademark crosses. 

 

If they continue to play like this, the fans have every right to be talking about Champions League football next season, especially given the recent inconsistencies of Roma and Napoli. 


Ciro Di Baselli