Hakan Çalhanoğlu arrived at Inter Milan with low expectations in the summer of 2021. The Turkish international was disappointed against AC Milan. Few Nerazzurri supporters felt the midfielder could fill the void of Eriksen’s absence.
However, the set-piece specialist immediately proved his doubters wrong. He scored in the first match of the season of Inter’s title defense in his first match for the Blue and Whites. The San Siro erupted in celebration.
His performances continued to impress in the first half of the season. In the month of November, Çalhanoğlu accumulated 3 goals and added 1 assist. His performances earned him his first Serie A Player of the Month award. His contribution was instrumental in Inter’s Coppa Italia and Supercoppa success. Hakan’s world-class delivery transformed Inter into one of Europe’s strongest teams from set pieces. He finished his first campaign with Inter with a total of 12 assists in all competitions.
stumble out of doors
His performances left the Nerazzuri fans emotional. He combined with Barella and Brozovic to form a strong midfield trio. That trio helped Inter finish second in the league, in addition to other cup successes. Unfortunately, his anticipation was interrupted. Croatian star Brozovic suffered a thigh injury in September.
With no immediate replacement other than a young and inexperienced Asllani, most supporters felt the season was doomed. The Nerazzurri’s poor start to the season has already left them far behind their competitors. Therefore, the absence of the heart of their midfield was a major concern. These concerns were immediately justified. Inter lost their first match without Brozovic in shameful fashion. Curva Nord went into panic mode, calling for Inzaghi’s dismissal. Something had to change before a critical UCL double header against Barcelona if he was to keep his job.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu gives impetus to Inter Milan
When the line-ups for their first game against the Spanish giants were announced, Nerazzurri supporters were stunned to see Çalhanoğlu in the role of Brozovic’s regista. The Turkish international had never played as a deep midfielder in his career. However, as he did on his Inter debut, Çalhanoğlu made the Inter fans bite their tongues. He scored the only goal of the match in Italy just before half time. Beyond being on the scoresheet, Çalhanoğlu impressed with his defensive rigor. His fearless tackles and his tireless movement were pertinent to Inter’s clean sheet.
The following weekend, Çalhanoğlu continued his incredible performance as the regista. His defensive display against Sassuolo was instrumental in getting Inter back to winning ways in Serie A. Since then, the club has only looked forward. In the second leg at Camp Nou, Hakan once again put in a stellar performance. He spread balls around the field to create offensive chances. Defensively, he made critical tackles and challenges to break Barcelona’s possession. He finished the game with 4 tackles and a critical assist. The result practically guaranteed a place for Inter in the knockout stages of the Champions League. The following weekend he added another assist in Inter’s win against Salernitana.
Since then, Inter have continued on their winning path. the club achieved a dramatic victory over Fiorentina. Then, back in the Champions League, Inter officially closed out a Champions League place with a thrashing of Viktoria Plzen.
Once again, Çalhanoğlu displayed his world-class dead-ball delivery last weekend, assisting Stefan de Vrij’s winning goal.
Block a role
Since Çalhanoğlu’s transition to the regista role, Inter have been undefeated. This tactical discovery not only saved Inter’s season, but also saved Simone Inzaghi, who was under fire.
Brozovic looks set to return soon. Çalhanoğlu faces a challenge in maintaining his electric form as he returns to the traditional mezzela position. Anyway, Inter fans feel at ease. They no longer trust ‘Epic Brozo’ to anchor a three-man midfield.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Marco Canoniero
