Inter grind out hard-fought win over Verona without Mkhitaryan

In the 10th round of the Italian Serie A, Inter earned a tough away victory over Verona with a score of 2–1. The match at the Bentegodi Stadium was tense and full of mistakes, but the Milan side managed to take all three points thanks to a goal from Piotr Zieliński and an own goal by Friz. For the hosts, Giovane scored after taking advantage of a rare defensive lapse.

The absence of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who missed the match due to injury, was clearly felt in Inter’s midfield creativity. The Armenian midfielder remains a key figure in Cristian Chivu’s system, and without him, the team lacked cohesion and rhythm.

Inter player ratings:

• Yann Sommer – 5.5. Conceded a goal he might have saved.
• Manuel Akanji – 6. Reliable overall, except for one mistake.
• Yann Bisseck – 6. Solid until a foul earned him a booking.
• Alessandro Bastoni – 5.5. His error led to Verona’s goal.
• Luis Enrique – 5. Quiet and ineffective in attack.
• Denzel Dumfries – 5.5. Failed to add sharpness after coming on.
• Hakan Çalhanoğlu – 7. Best on the pitch, orchestrated play and provided a brilliant assist for Zieliński’s goal.
• Piotr Zieliński – 6.5. Scored a fine goal but faded in the second half.
• Nicolò Barella – 6. Delivered the cross that caused the own goal but was otherwise subdued.
• Carlos Augusto – 6. Defensively solid, little attacking contribution.
• Federico Dimarco – 6. Brought energy and pace on the left.
• Lautaro Martínez – 5. Worked hard but was tightly marked by the defense.
• Cristian Chivu – 5.5. His Inter was unconvincing, though the result favored them.

The victory lifted Inter to third place in the Serie A table with 21 points. Napoli lead with 22.

Despite the win, the match in Verona left fans with mixed feelings: Inter achieved the desired result, but without Mkhitaryan and with visible flaws in their play, the team looked far from their best form.