The goal Billing scored in the Napoli-Inter match was a bitter disappointment for Inzaghi’s team, who had long cherished the dream of leaving Maradona with 3 points in their pocket. Instead, as has happened too often this season, the Nerazzurri conceded a goal in the final moments of the game. Many fans attribute this problem to the departure of Alessandro Bastoni from the field.
The defender has been one of Inter’s best players, but he was still substituted in the second half in the 80th minute, to be precise, as has happened frequently this season. Too many changes, headlines La Gazzetta dello Sport, highlighting the data on goals conceded after Bastoni is substituted.
However, the statistics on his usage reveal a more complex truth: 13 times out of 18, Inter has not conceded a goal after switching their defender. Bastoni, moreover, is the second outfield player with the highest number of minutes played 2668 minutes, second only to Lautaro Martinez, but his management has changed compared to the past.
Inzaghi’s confidence in him seems to remain intact, but what has changed is the way Bastoni is used compared to past seasons. There are many more matches where he starts, but as a result, there have been more substitutions during the match. The Napoli match, in this sense, is in line with the strategy adopted so far.
