He was the most discussed man on the eve, because the derby is never an ordinary match for him, and because of his last-minute return from injury, which came just in time for the last Milan-Inter match. In the end, Hakan Calhanoglu started as a main player, but his absence from the field was felt.
The Turk seemed far from his best form, as highlighted by all the newspapers. What tarnished his performance irreparably, moreover, was the lost ball, which led to the 1-0 for the Rossoneri. An episode that reminded everyone of what happened to Asllani in the Supercup, as maliciously recalled by Corriere dello Sport.
Following are the grades and evaluations of yesterday’s match by Calhanoglu from the newspapers:
LA GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT 5.5 – Half a point more for the excuse of returning after a long time. But he pays for the convalescence. Slow direction, loses the ball that Milan translates into a goal.
CORRIERE DELLO SPORT 5 – If Asllani had lost that ball… He didn’t have match rhythm after a month out.
TUTTOSPORT 5 – From the Supercup derby to the championship one. He makes a record time recovery from a calf injury to play the match he feels most: but the rust of nearly a month stop is all there, as shown by the ball that Abraham – definitely not Arsene Lupin – snatches from him, leading to the counterattack that results in the Rossoneri’s advantage.
