Inter Milan vs. Dnipro: Heroic Handanovic Proves He Is the Nerazzurri's Best

Samir Handanovic proved in Inter's 2-1 win over Dnipro in the Europa League that he is the Nerazzurri's only true world-class player at present.

The goalkeeper was nothing short of sensational as he compensated for the shaky defence in front of him with a series of brilliant saves.

There are some dashes of class in the Inter squad, but none could claim to be more vital to the team's fortunes than the Slovenian shot stopper.

The Brazilian duo of Dodo and Juan Jesus are perhaps the only other two players on Inter's books who you could realistically expect to see playing for Bayern Munich or Real Madrid at present, yet Handanovic would look right at home in any side on the planet.

Mauro Icardi has the potential to one day be a superstar, but he lacks the consistency at this stage of his career to be regarded as world class.

Fellow strikers Dani Osvaldo and Rodrigo Palacio are both classy players when at their best, however neither can claim to occupy that state at present.

Nemanja Vidic, who was once one of the greatest defenders on Earth, now appears to be past his best, while the likes of Hernanes, Andrea Ranocchia, Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Gary Medel are all fine players who are not likely to be breaking any transfer records over the course of their respective careers.

Handanovic, then, is the one true jewel in the Nerazzurri squad, who ranks alongside Gianluigi Buffon as the best keeper in Serie A.

Exceptional goalkeepers tend to start breaking records at some stage, and the 30-year-old is in the midst of an amazing run at present.

Against Dnipro's Yevhen Konoplyanka, he saved a remarkable sixth consecutive penalty, having previously blocked attempts from Verona, Cagliari, Torino, Parma and Sampdoria.

That statistic, along with the string of saves he made in general play to allow his side to progress from the group phase, is what sets Handanovic apart from the rest of his teammates as the undisputed star of the Inter team.