Ex AC Milan Star Faces Tough Battle For Control Of Midfield Against In-Form Ex Juventus Star In Lazio Vs Inter Milan Clash

Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will face a tough battle with Nicolo Rovella to control this evening’s match with Lazio.

This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.

This evening’s Serie A clash at the Stadio Olimpico is sure to be a fiercely-contested one.

And it’s certain that both Inter and Lazio will work hard to deny the opposition time and space in central areas.

And that is where the two teams’ respective key men at the base of midfield will come in.

Inter midfielder Calhanoglu is vital to how his team play. The 30-year-old is the player constantly showing for the ball as the Nerazzurri play through opposition pressure.

Calhanoglu’s technical quality, range of passing, and vision for the game are among the most important elements in Inter’s efforts to take control of the tempo of matches.

Lazio have their own version of Calhanoglu, however.

23-year-old midfielder Rovella has been enjoying his most impressive season to date under coach Marco Baroni.

Rovella had shown flashes of his quality at Genoa. Then, he moved deeper into midfield at Monza where he started showing maturity well beyond his year.

That had earned Rovella a move to Lazio last season. And the Italian international showed great promise.

But this time out, Rovella has simply been one of Serie A’s outstanding midfielders.

Like Calhanoglu, Rovella is a hugely tenacious midfielder who is always hungry to get on the ball.

And the 23-year-old’s ball control and passing ability have been central to Lazio’s play in possession under Baroni.

Both Calhanoglu and Rovella will effectively be looking to deny one another influence and too much of the ball.

Both have proven capable of calming matches down. And both are also perfectly adept at going direct under coaches who love proactive attacking play.

The big question this evening will be which of the two really shows it.