04/24/2024 at 2:50 p.m.
Benjamin Pavard is having fun with Inter.
Recruited for 30 million euros during the last summer transfer window, Benjamin Pavard is having a superb season with Inter. The French defender had no trouble adapting to his new club with which he has just won Serie A and where he is adored by the supporters.
Audacity. This is the word that best describes Benjamin Pavard (28 years old). Everyone remembers his legendary goal against Argentina (4-3) in the round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup or his brilliant strike in Ireland (0-1) in March 2023.
Others will also remember a completely crazy assist for Anastasios Donis when he was still wearing the colors of Stuttgart. A special player who is not afraid to take risks on the field and even in his career choices.
Finally at the right position
Having just left Lille at just 20 years old for Stuttgart, the Frenchman made a strong decision during the last summer transfer window by leaving Bayern Munich for Inter after a very prolific season with 7 goals in 43 games. An even more curious choice when we know that he finally had the opportunity to slide into central defense after several seasons as a right back, a position by default. But after several months and while the German club fell from its pedestal, the Northerner, who arrived in Lombardy for the tidy sum of 30 million euros, made everyone agree.
Indeed, the native of Maubeuge quickly became a must for Simone Inzaghi. Slowed down for several weeks in November and December due to a foot injury, the 2018 world champion has definitively settled into the nerazzurro starting lineup. His position ? The right axis of the three-way defense. A position that fits him like a glove since he has to manage a smaller part of the field compared to a four-man defense, whether in the center or on one side. A repositioning that he has waited a long time for and which allows him to give his best version.
Holder, defeat almost avoided
You only need to look at Inter’s collective results in his presence to see his importance. In 20 Serie A matches, he has not been defeated. Of its 18 starts in the league, the Lombard team has won 16 times with two draws against Bologna (2-2) and Naples (1-1). With him, the Milanese have only conceded 9 goals out of 18 in the elite. A sort of totem which recalls his unbeaten run of 35 matches with the various French teams between March 2015 and November 2018. The elimination in the Italian Cup against Bologna (1-2 ap)? He started on the bench. Only Atletico Madrid (2-1, 5-3 tab), in the Champions League, managed to bring down Inter with Pavard holding.
His last performance against AC Milan (1-2), the match which allowed Inter to win a 20th Italian championship title, is also a model of its kind. Decisive on his deflection for Francesco Acerbi’s opener, Pavard kept the Rossoneri attackers on a leash, notably with a virile tackle on Rafael Leão which capsized the inside corner. Supporters who quickly adopted Milan Skriniar’s replacement, finally considered at his true value in a club which blindly trusts him. Enough to regain his starting place in the selection lost during the World Cup in Qatar? Answer soon.
Is Benjamin Pavard underrated? Do not hesitate to react and debate in the “Add a comment” area…
Par Youcef Touaitiaon 04/24/2024 at 2:50 p.m.
2024-04-24 12:50:00
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