Handanovic’s saves are as important as goals in Serie A title race
The Slovenia International has signed a three-year and a half contract extension earlier this week, but his future at San Siro was put into serious doubt over the last couple of seasons as the squad was unable to snatch the positive results that everyone, included Handanovic, expected.
Inter are back on track from this season, they are competitive again and can be considered serious title contenders.
Yesterday’s success over Empoli was Inter’s 9th 1-0 victory out of their 12, while Roberto Mancini can rely on the less beaten defense of the league with just 12 goals against.
The 31-year-old shot-stopper has kept 11 clean sheets, but it’s worth saying that if Joao Miranda and Jeison Murillo’s partnership in the hearth of Inter’s back line has been impressive during the first part of the campaign, Handanovic has played a vital role in making Inter the best defense of the league so far.
The Biscione have faced far more shots than any other side involved in title race. Gianluigi Buffon and Pepe Reina have had to deal with 44 shots each, while Fiorentina’s Ciprian Tatarusanu has 43 shots against.
Samir Handanovic alone, on the other hand, has 65 saves so far as his side have faced 76 shots on target this season.
His miraculous saves have been vital for Inter to secure three points in the Milan derby as well as against Bologna, Torino and Empoli, four of the nine games in which Inter sealed a narrow 1-0 victory.
It is difficult to say how many points his saves may have brought to Roberto Mancini’s side, but we can assume without the shadow of a doubt that without Handanovic Inter may have struggled even to qualify for Champions League.
Having a difference-making goalkeeper, by the way, only represents an added value and not something to be ashamed of. The same, by instance, goes for Juventus, which have had Gianlugi Buffon defending their goal for the last 15 years.
