Serie A:Inter starlet Santon lauded ahead of Roma test

godtabh

Preview

Inter Milan defender Davide Santon is out to keep proving that if you are good enough, you are old enough when the Serie A leaders entertain AS Roma on Sunday (1930).

The 18-year-old has produced assured performances since breaking into the first team in January and showed no stage fright when pitched against Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo in Tuesday's goalless draw in the Champions League.

Coach Jose Mourinho has no doubts that the Inter academy product has a glowing future in front of him.

"I think it's right to talk about Santon, who did fantastically in what was his first match in the Champions League," Mourinho told reporters. "We can no longer say he is just a great talent, he is already a great player."

That might seem a bit much for someone who has made just six Serie A starts, but Mourinho is not the only one raving about Santon. Italy coach Marcello Lippi went as far as to say that he reminded him of a young Paolo Maldini earlier this month.

The teenager's pace and tidy work in defence have enabled him to push Brazilian left back Maxwell, a decent player himself, out of the champions' starting line up.

His work coming forward has not been quite as impressive, but this may be because he is a right-footer playing on the left. The consistently excellent Maicon has proved hard to budge from right back.

Mourinho has praised Santon's maturity and quiet professionalism, contrasting it with the attitude of fellow academy product Mario Balotelli, the striker who asked to be loaned out because of limited playing time.

"It's easy for a coach to field an 18-year-old player, when the player is a man," he said last month. "Off the field Santon is low profile, the opposite of what he is on it.

"Mario is a good lad, but some people want him to be high profile, and he's not ready to be high profile, even less so off the field."

Inter centre backs Marco Materazzi and Walter Samuel are likely to miss Sunday's game at the San Siro with thigh and calf problems respectively.

Seventh-placed Roma were Inter's main rivals for the title in the last two seasons but a terrible start means their ambitions are limited to securing a Champions League slot this term.

They have injury problems too, with Brazil centre back Juan and Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani unlikely to be fit.

Juventus, who trail Inter by nine points, welcome an out-of-sorts Napoli side to Turin on Saturday (1930).

AC Milan, who are two points further back in third, visit Sampdoria on Sunday (1400).

Saturday, February 28, 2009
Time Home Away VENUE
17:00 UK Lazio v Bologna Stadio Olimpico
19:30 UK Juventus v Napoli Stadio Olimpico
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Time Home Away VENUE
14:00 UK Palermo v Catania Renzo Barbera
14:00 UK Atalanta v Chievo Verona Atleti Azzurri d'Italia
14:00 UK Reggina v Fiorentina Oreste Granillo
14:00 UK Siena v Genoa Artemio Franchi
14:00 UK Udinese v Lecce Stadio Friuli
14:00 UK Sampdoria v AC Milan Luigi Ferraris
14:00 UK Cagliari v Torino Sant'Elia
19:30 UK Internazionale v AS Roma Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Santo is a class player. First time I saw him live was in the Inter AC gane and though he had a great game. During the United game he had Ronaldo in is pocket for alot of it. Made one mistake at the end but still had a great game. I think he was voted fans man of the match on inter.it

Should be a good game this week but not like it would have been last year

Mitch Connor

Had ronaldo in his pocket? Yeah right, him and the two other players that would form a three man team on Ronaldo maybe...

godtabh

Lazio win 2-0

godtabh

AC go 2-1 down and are out of the chase for the league

K4t

I'd put him up there with the Da Silva brothers alright. Except they are far more assured in attack than him. Had to laught at Jose saying he is already a 'great player'. You'd swear he was Johnny Evans.

Let's see how Santon fairs at OT.

godtabh

Inter down 2 nil at home

Going well so far!

Quint

Come on Roma!

K4t

kearnsr wrote: »

Inter down 2 nil at home

Going well so far!

Who scored for Roma?

Quint

It's 3-2 to roma. De Rossi, Riise and Brighi got their goals

Mr. Presentable

Never a penalty.

godtabh

finished 3-3

I'm up to my tits with study but man I wished I saw that game

Mr. Presentable

Jose has taken the surrender mentality out of Inter, and hopefully made them what they should always have been. Proud and resilient. In previous seasons their heads would have dropped and they'd have conceded another couple without reply.

D De Rossi had a 1 v 1 with Cesar in additional time and should have scored a winner. He screwed it wide.

Quint

nipplenuts wrote: »

Jose has taken the surrender mentality out of Inter, and hopefully made them what they should always have been. Proud and resilient. In previous seasons their heads would have dropped and they'd have conceded another couple without reply.

D De Rossi had a 1 v 1 with Cesar in additional time and should have scored a winner. He screwed it wide.

Proud? They only won yesterday cos of a massive dive. The amount of wrong decisions that have gone their way this season is a disgrace.

Mr. Presentable

Quint wrote: »

Proud? They only won yesterday cos of a massive dive. The amount of wrong decisions that have gone their way this season is a disgrace.

I agree, but in previous years they would have caved.