There is an Inter with Hakan Calhanoglu and an Inter without him. How many times have you seen us write or heard us say this phrase over the last two years? Today, given his prolonged absence due to injury and given the simultaneous absence of Kristjan Asllani, his natural replacement, Simone Inzaghi has adapted Nicolò Barella to the role, first in the ongoing match against Roma and then with Young Boys in the Champions League, but the results, unfortunately, did nothing but reconfirm the initial axiom.
Analyzing data and statistics, Barella, in the role of director, weakens himself first and the team secondly. In view of the match against Juventus, fundamental for everyone, the solution for Inzaghi could really be another. Positioning and movement on the pitch show a striking difference between Calhanoglu and Barella as directors. Calhanoglu roams relentlessly across the entire midfield, moving from left to right but remaining central in front of the defense and in the midfield. Barella, on the other hand, always tends to open up along the flanks, looking for “less crowded” spaces and occupying the area close to the two strikers much less.
Not only that, but an average difference of over 50 balls touched per game between the two is also noteworthy. This means less offensive danger and fewer dangerous opportunities created for their teammates. What is most striking, however, is the “distribution” factor of the game. Calhanoglu tends to equate the number of passes directed towards the right and towards the left, which however are always to a lesser extent than those which seek immediate verticality, while for Barella the tendency is the opposite, i.e. looking for the tips first and then the sides, with preference towards the left sector of the field. This means that Barella still has a tendency to move towards the right areas of the pitch and that he manages the rhythm of the maneuver less, thus exposing the team to possible counterattacks.
Finally, Inter creates the majority of its goals and scoring opportunities (or xG using modern statistical data) in normal or low-paced situations, while the figure collapses in fast-paced actions. Calhanoglu is a master at creating these opportunities. Barella, as leader and for the occasion also as captain, has adapted to the role given the large absences, but he too is aware that the role is not perfectly suited to his characteristics: “Me as a point guard? I give a hand as I can, I was happy with it, but it was a bit forced.”
As for Inzaghi, he could invent a new solution today. Asllani is the number one solution, although even for him there were difficulties in the comparison with Calhanoglu. The alternative solution could instead be a role reversal with another player who has experienced few peaks and many lows in his natural role as a midfielder. Piotr Zielinski, who began to play a completely new role in Poland as a director, has very similar statistics and space occupation to Calhanoglu’s in the role, making him a potential alternative solution. With Zielinski as director, Barella could return to his natural role as a midfielder, where he is among the best in the world, and the team could build a credible alternative to Calhanoglu in the long term.
