Inter and Lazio played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the final Serie A game of 2014 at the Stadio Meazza on Sunday evening.
A stunning first-half double from Felipe Anderson had the hosts chasing the game from the early stages, but a second-half stunner from Mateo Kovacic followed by a scrappy Rodrigo Palacio goal proved enough to earn Roberto Mancini’s men a point.
Did we get our ratings right? Have your say in the comments below.
Inter
Samir Handanovic – 5 – So-so
Little he could do about either goal, hard to evaluate his performance. Neither good nor particularly bad.
Danilo D’Ambrosio – 6 – Standout
Stood out as the only competent performer in an otherwise shambolic defensive first half. Looked exhausted toward the end and was replace late on.
Andrea Ranocchia – 6 – Advancing
After a poor first half he looked a different player in the second. Partially to blame for Lazio’s second but looked more comfortable in possession and composed when defending in the second.
Juan Jesus – 4.5 – Dizzy
Part of a poor all round defence in an overall poor team performance. Destroyed by Felipe Anderson for Lazio’s second.
Yuto Nagatomo – 5 – Ineffective
Poor in the first, improved in the second. Final product poor when in advanced positions.
Fredy Guarin – 4 – Waste
Frustrated, careless, wasteful – Take your pick. Took to shooting from anywhere he found an inch of space from very early on and found himself jeered by his own fans as the game wore on and their patience grew thin.
Mateo Kovacic – 7 – Unleashed
Suffered in the 4-4-2 system. Faced a body of Lazio midfielders whenever in possession. Better second half following change in setup and found more time on the ball. Nicely created a chance for Icardi. Contributed with a Zinedine Zidane-esque goal-of-the-season contender.
Zdravko Kuzmanovic – 5.5 – Industrious
While offering little in the form of creativity, he proved himself as an important player in terms of energy and output. By no means a stellar performance, but, at the same time, he was far from being the worst Nerazzurri player.
Dodo – 3.5 – Mistake
A strange selection from the off by Mancini. Offered little other than a less than convincing attempt at simulation in the first half before he was rather humiliatingly replaced moments before half-time.
Rodrigo Palacio – 6 – Relieved
Found himself in the right place to poke home Inter’s second and equaliser for his first goal in 225 days. Had a relatively quiet game other than this.
Mauro Icardi – 5 – Disappointment
Had a quiet game and scuffed a couple of chances. Will have been relieved to see the offside flag raised after a glaring miss at the death which, if onside would have handed Inter all three points.
Substitutes
Gary Medel – 6 – Improvement
Immediate upgrade on Dodo. Allowed the team to change formation and dictated the play well, breaking up Lazio attacks before they really developed.
Federico Bonazzoli – No Rating
Hugo Campagnaro – No Rating
Lazio
Federico Marchetti – 6 – Unfortunate
Nothing he could do to prevent Kovacic wonder goal, despite what slowed down replays might have you believe. Made a handful of saves to keep Inter at bay prior to the Croat’s rocket.
Dusan Basta – 5 – Exposed
Despite Nagatomo having a poor game himself, he got the better of Basta more than once and was only let down by his delivery.
Stefan de Vrij – 6 – Solid
Gave little away throughout the match, looked composed and assured at all times.
Lorik Cana – 6 – Impressive
Did well to put off Mauro Icardi and deny a likely goal in the second half. Made a few important interceptions and tackles.
Stefan Radu – 5.5 – Faded
Started well, and much like his side began to slip in the second half.
Marco Parolo – 5.5 – Engine
A lot of running from the former Parma man. Put in a good shift but ultimately offered little more than minimum expectations both going forward and defensively.
Cristian Ledesma – 6 – Mixed
Lazio’s performance in microcosm. Good first-half and start of second-half until Kovacic came alive and took control of the game, bossing the midfield in the process.
Senad Lulic – 6.5 – Missed
His absence was evident after his substitution. No coincidence Lazio’s collapse and his departure went hand-in-hand.
Stefano Mauri – 6 – Close
Came close to scoring a crucial goal which would have killed Inter off late in the game. Solid performance overall without being outstanding.
Felipe Anderson – 8 – Mazy
The Brazilian started well giving his side an early lead with his emphatic finish and added a brilliant, individual second later in the half.
Miroslav Klose – 5.5 – Quiet
Failed to make any real impact on the game, with the exception of his first half booking before being subbed in the early stages of the second half.
Substitutes
Filip Djordjevic – 5 – Absent
Offered little more, if not less than his predecessor. His arrival coincided with Lazio’s dip and Inter’s rise.
Ogenyi Onazi – No Rating
Alvaro Gonzalez – No Rating
