Djed Spence's uncredited second assist tells the real story of Feyenoord 0-3 Inter
Officially down for one assist in Inter's Champions League win at Feyenoord, Djed Spence's influence down the right went well beyond the scoresheet.
Djed Spence took the Man of the Match award after Inter's 3-0 win at Feyenoord in the Champions League, even though the official record shows only one assist to his name.
That assist set up Yann Bisseck for the opener. But Spence's fingerprints were on the second goal too: a deflected pass from the right wing-back position fell for Francesco Pio Esposito, who finished to make it 2-0. Because the ball deflected on its way through, it does not count as a second assist in the statistics, as reported by Football Italia.
There was almost a third involvement. Another low ball from Spence across the box found Esposito again, but the forward was flagged offside and the goal was ruled out. Piotr Zielinski added the third to complete the scoreline.
What the assist column leaves out
Assist statistics measure the final pass before a goal, provided the ball reaches its target without an intervening touch that changes its path. A deflection breaks that chain in the data, even when the deflection does nothing to diminish the quality or intent of the original delivery.
That is precisely what happened for Esposito's goal. Spence's pass arrived with the same purpose as the one that found Bisseck, but a touch along the way meant the system credited the goal without crediting the creator. The disallowed effort compounds the point: by the raw numbers, Spence produced one assist in Rotterdam; by the pattern of the game, he was directly involved in setting up three chances inside the same half.
The UEFA Technical Observer Group's own verdict reflected that gap between the stat sheet and the eye test. It praised Spence for dominating the opening 35 minutes with deliveries from the right that helped Inter take control early, alongside a high rate of accurate passing and a turn of pace that caused Feyenoord repeated problems.
A wing-back finding his feet in Chivu's system
Spence operated as the right-sided wing-back in Cristian Chivu's 3-5-2, a role that asks the occupant to provide the width a back three alone cannot, while still being disciplined enough to drop into a back four or five out of possession. His value in Rotterdam came from how often he got beyond Feyenoord's defensive line and delivered the ball early, rather than waiting to combine short.
This was only his fourth appearance for Inter and his first goal involvement of any kind in the shirt, following three earlier starts. He did not make his debut until October 10, after injuries picked up around the World Cup period delayed his introduction to the squad.
The context of his arrival is worth recalling. Spence was signed as the cheaper option after Chelsea outbid Inter for Atalanta's Marco Palestra, who had been the club's first choice for the right wing-back slot. Against Feyenoord, at least for one night, the alternative looked like the better outcome.
A career-best night by his own recent standard
Spence had gone without an assist in any of his previous 16 European appearances, split between Tottenham Hotspur and Rennes. Breaking that run with a performance strong enough to win a Champions League Man of the Match award, in only his fourth game for a new club, is a notable marker for a player still adapting to a new league and a new system.
He described himself simply as grateful for the result and content with his own display. “Grateful for the win, I’m happy with my performance, I’m just happy,” he told Inter TV, adding that he felt the squad and manager had welcomed him and that he hoped the relationship would be mutually beneficial: “I’m adapting well, the team and manager welcomed me in. I feel good, I hope to help the team and they can help me.”
For Chivu, the performance offers early evidence that the right wing-back role has a credible deputy behind the first-choice plan that fell through in the market. For Spence, the task now is turning one eye-catching European night into a consistent run in a side still assessing exactly where he fits.