Italian Newspaper Slam “Embarrassing Inter Defence” As Swiss Star Gets Lowest Rating In 3-1 Defeat At Napoli

Corriere dello Sport delivered a harsh critique of Inter Milan's 3-1 defeat to Napoli, highlighting a mental and structural collapse within the team, with particular emphasis on Manuel Akanji's poor performance. The newspaper described the defensive phase as "embarrassing" and noted that hits on the woodwork by Bastoni and Dumfries provided only false hope, underscoring the team's vulnerabilities.

Specific player ratings were provided, with Manuel Akanji receiving the lowest score of 4 for being slow in marking and failing to track opponents, which symbolized the overall collapse. Francesco Acerbi and Ange-Yoan Bonny were graded 4.5, while a long list of players including Bastoni, Dumfries, Dimarco, Zielinski, Lautaro, and Chivu were rated 5, indicating widespread underperformance. The midfield and bench fared slightly better, with players like Sommer, Barella, Frattesi, Sucic, Mkhitaryan, and Pio Esposito receiving 5.5.

The only positive note was Hakan Calhanoglu, who was graded 6 and praised as the most dangerous from distance, the scorer from the penalty spot, and the sole player to bring order and threat. However, the report concluded that Inter "switched off after the interval and never switched on again," pointing to a collective drop in both attitude and performance, with warnings of "dangerous signals" from this being their third Serie A defeat.