Inter Milan Penalties Labelled ‘A Disaster’ Without Talismanic Turkish Star After Defeat To Bologna In Supercoppa Semi | OneFootball

Inter Milan’s Supercoppa Italiana journey ended in bitter fashion in Riyadh, with Italian media delivering a harsh verdict on a penalty shootout loss to Bologna that unravelled without Hakan Calhanoglu on the pitch.

The semi-final against Bologna went the distance before being decided from the spot.

However, Cristian Chivu’s side arrived at the decisive moment without their usual reference points.

Calhanoglu, Inter’s designated penalty specialist, remained on the bench, while his usual deputy Piotr Zielinski had been forced off shortly before the end with a muscle problem.

The result, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, was catastrophic, via FCInterNews.

“Those who took responsibility, however, made quite a mess,” the newspaper wrote.

“Only those with courage miss penalties, as the old saying goes, but we’ve seen much better attempts than Inter’s last night.”

Italian Press Slam Inter Penalty Shambles As Bologna Go Through To Supercoppa Final

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 26: Piotr Zielinski of FC Internazionale looks on during the warm up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between FC Internazionale Milano and RB Leipzig at Stadio San Siro on November 26, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Gazzetta’s analysis was unsparing in its breakdown of the shootout sequence.

The collapse began with the Italian core of the team. “In the end, everything crumbled at the feet of the Italian axis,” the report continued.

“First came Bastoni’s predictable effort, then Barella’s shot blasted high.”

The pressure then shifted to one of Inter’s most promising performers this season.

“Bonny added to it with an innocuous phone call to Ravaglia, dialled with a Saudi prefix,” Gazzetta added, using biting imagery to underline the lack of conviction in the attempt.

Zielinski’s absence loomed large in hindsight.

“Zielinski would have taken a penalty if cramps in his hamstring hadn’t forced him off the pitch.”

The paper noted, underlining how fine the margins were.

Lautaro Martinez, by contrast, did convert his spot-kick.

“Lautaro, the man who had fired wildly in Madrid last time, at least put it away,” Gazzetta observed, “though no Inter fan could really take joy from it.”

Chivu later explained that neither Calhanoglu nor Pio Esposito were introduced solely for penalties to avoid exposing them to the risk of taking a spot-kick cold.

While the reasoning was clear, the outcome was brutal.

In the absence of their Turkish talisman, Inter’s shootout lacked authority, precision and leadership.

Therefore, their Supercoppa campaign ended with a verdict that was impossible to escape.