Do Frequent Alessandro Bastoni Substitutes Both Help & Hurt Inter Milan? | OneFootball

Substitutions to defender Alessandro Bastoni have both helped and hurt Inter Milan in Serie A this season.

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

There’s been a bit of a controversy in the wake of Saturday’s match between Napoli and Inter Milan.

Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi raised a few eyebrows with his decision to substitute Alessandro Bastoni off yesterday against Napoli.

The 25-year-old had been outstanding match. His tackles, blocks, and clearances were a big part of the reason why Inter had kept a clean sheet late into the match.

However, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi decided to put Stefan de Vrij on in Bastoni’s place.

As the coach explained, this was because he wanted the Dutchman’s height to defend against Napoli substitute Phillip Billing.

But if it was Inzaghi’s intention to keep Billing quiet, that’s certainly not what happened.

Not long after Alessandro Bastoni went off, the Dane actually scored. This was his first goal for Napoli.

Alessandro Bastoni Subs Both Help & Hurt Inter Milan

Bastoni is in fact Inter’s second most-used outfield player this season.

The Italian international has appeared in 37 out of Inter’s 39 matches across all competitions over the course of the campaign.

VENICE, ITALY – JANUARY 12: Alessandro Bastoni of FC Internazionale and Jay Idzes of Venezia in action during the Serie A match between Venezia and FC Internazionale at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on January 12, 2025 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

But Inzaghi often takes the 25-year-old off as a substitute. This clearly is at least partly to preserve such a key figure’s fitness.

However, particularly after the way Inter capitulated late on against Napoli, some have argued that this is often the wrong decision. As it weakens Inter’s defensive solidity late on in matches.

The Gazzetta do note that there have already been five late goals conceded after a Bastoni substitution. Clearly that is a problem.

But on the other hand, note the newspaper, there have also been damaging late goals with Bastoni on the pitch.

Among these were the stoppage time equalizer by Genoa in Inter’s first match of the season, and the late capitulation to AC Milan in a 3-2 Supercoppa Italiana final loss.