Bastoni makes 200 appearances for Inter

28 September 2019: Inter faced Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa on matchday 6 in the league. It seemed like a match like every other for the Nerazzurri, a normal away day at the start of a season: it was for everyone else, but not for a young defender born in 1999. In that game, which Inter eventually won 3-1 (Sensi, Sanchez and Gagliardini on the scoresheet) Alessandro Bastoni made his debut f thore Nerazzurri, starting the match against the Blucerchiati. The number 95's Inter career began here, a journey that would take him to the biggest achievements in the game and unforgettable triumphs. In his first season with the Nerazzurri, he made 33 appearances and scored two goals (against Lecce and Parma), even playing 90 minutes in the Europa League final against Sevilla. Today, taking to the field against Sassuolo at the MAPEI Stadium in Reggio Emilia, Alessandro reached the milestone of making 200 appearances wearing the Black and Blue, becoming the fourth player in the squad for matches played after Lautaro (280), De Vrij (235) and Nicolò Barella (231).

Having immediately become a mainstay in the Nerazzurri team, Bastoni won his first Scudetto in his second year with Inter. The defender's growth was fast and Alessandro had already become threatening on the attacking front too, providing two assists (for Barella and Skriniar) in the two crucial wins against Juventus and Atalanta.

A triumph that became the first of a long series: after winning the Scudetto, Bastoni lifted two Coppa Italia and three Supercoppa Italiana trophies with Simone Inzaghi's Inter, further evolving his game. A reliable defender in covering and accurate in possession, Alessandro also became a vital cog going forward and building moves going forward. His ability to overlap and play accurate long balls has allowed him to become a complete player, acknowledge on the international stage too: in Inter's European run that took them to the 2022/23 Champions League final, he was named MVP in the first leg of the quarter-finals against Benfica and was named in UEFA's top 11 from players taking part in the competition that season.

In his fifth year with the Nerazzurri, Bastoni has now become one of the most experienced players in the dressing room. That boy who first came to Inter in 2017 and then made his debut at the age of 20 against Sampdoria is a cornerstone of this Nerazzurri team. This season, Bastoni has played a crucial role in helping Inter win their 20th Scudetto. He got back in on the goalscoring act after two long years, in a match against Roma, and between March and April Alessandro provided three assists in three consecutive games against Bologna, Naples and Empoli. These performances saw him elected as March's best player of the month by the Lega Serie A. He also put his stamp on the goal that secured the Nerazzurri's Scudetto, with the long ball forward for Marcus Thuram in the build-up to the second goal against AC Milan.

Bastoni has now reached 200 appearances for the Nerazzurri. He does so after featuring heavily in Inter winning the Second Star, entering into the hisotry books and becoming a legend of the Club.

BASTONI'S 200 GAMES

GOALS: 4 ASSISTS: 18