Lautaro Martinez The Difference Maker As Inter Get Closer To Napoli

Written By Onyeka Daniel

It was an intense affair at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium as reigning champions, Inter Milan managed to get a win against an impressive Venezia side as Lautaro Martinez scored his first Serie A goal at San Siro for eight months to eventually break down their stubborn opponent, with a huge late scare and take Inter within a point of leaders Napoli.

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While Simone Inzaghi was largely expected to rotate his lineup for this encounter, especially with a clash against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday also on the horizon, but the former Lazio manager decided to play a strong starting XI regardless. And he did go on to justify his choice: “The only thing I think about is tonight’s game,” Inzaghi told DAZN in a pre-match interview.

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“Everyone recovered well from the last game, then I tried to make the best choices for this game. “As managers, we always think that our choice is for the best, then you have to see how games play out, but it’s easier to speak after. You have to make decisions beforehand. And I did it in the team’s interest.” Napoli had suffered their second loss of the season at home against Atalanta.

This would allow Inter a chance to cut their gap from the Serie A leaders to one point before their head-to-head next Sunday, but Inzaghi insisted his focus is solely on what his team ‘can do’.“We were training today at noon, I only think about my team and what I can do,” he added. “We look at other teams’ results, but we try to do our best with our players.” He replied.

Apart from Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi, Kristjan Asllani was also not fully fit, but unlike the other two, he didn’t make the bench at all, with Carlos Augusto also out of action. The Lagunari were fresh from a 3-2 comeback victory after trailing 2-0 to 10-man Udinese midweek and started Inter youth products Filip Stankovic and Gaetano Oristanio.

Lautaro Martinez’s half-volley skimmed the upright from just inside the area as Marcus Thuram cushioned down a cross, then the Argentine’s glancing header on a corner flashed across the face of goal. Federico Dimarco won it back in midfield to send Thuram and Nicolò Barella clear on goal, but they both failed to make the most of that opportunity.

Then, Thuram also fired against the side-netting after shaking off Giorgio Altare. Denzel Dumfries rolled across the face of goal for the Henrikh Mkhitaryan tap-in at the back post, but he didn’t get enough power on it and Stankovic was able to parry. Inter finally had the ball in the net on 51 minutes when Mkhitaryan started the move.

Alessandro Bastoni then passed it down the left to Dimarco, who rolled across for the first-time finish with the inside of the left boot. However, Dimarco was offside on the Mkhitaryan goal and it was disallowed by VAR. Moments later, Venezia had a very similar team move cut short by Sommer’s save on Idzes, while Stankovic got down with one glove to intercept a Lautaro cross.

But the breakthrough came at last when Dimarco whipped in a trademark cross from the left for Lautaro Martinez’s cushioned header at the back post. Incredibly, the Argentina international had not scored at San Siro in Serie A for 249 days, since February 28 against Atalanta.It should’ve been 2-0 moments later on another fantastic Dimarco cross, but Thuram’s first touch was poor.

And then, he fired straight at Stankovic from seven yards. Bastoni went off with cramp and Calhanoglu made his comeback after a month out. Stankovic made a splendid save to keep out the Thuram header at the top corner, but Medhi Taremi’s follow-up was deflected over by a defender’s arm. However, VAR ruled Thuram was offside, so no penalty was given.

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Stankovic was again decisive on a Calhanoglu scorcher from outside the box and Stefan de Vrij’s free header was wide from a corner. There was an incredible last-gasp situation when Marin Sverko bundled a Ridgeciano Haps cross into the box at the back post at the 97th minute. However, VAR confirmed Sverko had knocked it in with his hand while jumping with Yann Bisseck and the goal was disallowed.

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