Italy Veteran Looks Lost Without A Striker To Mark In PSG 5-0 Inter Milan Champions League Final Loss | OneFootball

Defender Francesco Acerbi looked “lost” without a striker to duel it out with in yesterday’s Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews.

The Italian international has been an absolute stalwart for the Nerazzurri across several European campaigns. Therefore, it was little surprise to see him in the starting eleven.

However, even before the match there were reasons to think that it might not be the ideal match for Acerbi.

Acerbi Looks “Lost” Without A Striker To Mark In PSG 5-0 Inter Milan

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Francesco Acerbi of. FC Internazionale during the warm up prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on March 08, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The thing that Francesco Acerbi is most effective at is nullifying out-and-out centre forwards.

The 37-year-old can use his physicality and anticipation to beat strikers to the ball time and time again.

Therefore, even very prolific strikers have struggled to turn with the ball and get a shot away or build momentum when Acerbi has been marking them in the penalty area.

Moreover, the treatment that the former Lazio defenders gives to strikers very often leaves opposition teams with no real focal point in attack.

Acerbi can nullify an opposition striker’s holdup play, and with it, one of their main routes to goal.

However, PSG do not play with an out-and-out striker. Ousmane Dembele is not the tallest or strongest of forwards, but has pace and technical ability to burn.

Therefore, the Frenchman is able to interchange freely with his teammates.

Rather than being a player who Acerbi can take out of the game, Dembele reversed the situation. Acerbi struggled to impact the match for Inter as he never quite knew whether to follow Dembele around the pitch or stay and guard Inter’s penalty area.