On Wednesday in San Sebastian he didn’t offer his best performance since joining the Nerazzurri, but he scored the equalizer at the first opportunity he had. With the heavy goal against Real Sociedad he tied Crespo for goals scored for the Nerazzurri in the competition (11): first place is not far away
22 September – MILAN
When an attacker is well, he sees the goal as bigger than it is. He “smells” the possibility of hitting and this simplifies everything. Inter, against Real Sociedad, net of Thuram’s goal disallowed, had only one opportunity to score. Who, if not him? Lautaro – until then closed off, asphyxiated by the opposing defenders, squeezed in the Basque grip – had oxygen in the penalty area, he guessed where the ball kicked by Frattesi would go, he rushed towards it and struck. Cool blood, for the man who always drags Inter along, even on the most complicated nights. The goal scored in San Sebastian, more than others, is a demonstration of the centrality of Toro in the Nerazzurri. A centrality that the Argentine also wants to reiterate in Empoli on Sunday lunchtime against the Azzurri of new coach Andreazzoli.
CRESPO AND ICARDI
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A goal from Martinez that can change the history of Inter’s European progress this season. With a first knockout in the group, things would have been complicated. Speaking of history: Lautaro’s goal is linked to the Nerazzurri’s past and to two compatriots. Hernan Crespo, linked to 11 goals with Inter in the Champions League: now only Julio Cruz (13) and Adriano (14) are in front, which means that with four more goals Torino would become the first all-time scorer alone -club’s time in the competition. And it is also linked to Mauro Icardi, because it was the former captain who was the last to score with the only shot on goal produced by Inter in a Champions League match: at San Siro in 2018 against Barcelona. Icardi was a goalscorer like this: there were matches in which he literally couldn’t be seen, then he placed the decisive strike. If Lautaro also takes this step and becomes cynical even when things aren’t working out, he takes a further step as a total attacker.
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THE WORD
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After the break, Lautaro was a driving force despite not scoring against Milan and then a cynical bomber. He sent Dumfries into space for Thuram’s second in the derby with the same ease with which he hit Real Sociedad. Toro is everything for Inter at the moment, it’s 10 and 9 together. And it should not be forgotten that he came from the trip to South America, with the match played (coming on as a substitute) in Bolivia before returning to Italy. Squeezed, but still present. And barring any surprises, he will also be in the starting eleven on Sunday at Castellani when Inzaghi’s team will go in search of the fifth victory out of five which could mean an escape. On Wednesday Lautaro scored Inter’s 200th goal in the Champions League, but above all he continued his extraordinary start to the season: five games and six goals to his credit. Only Guirassy, Haaland and Mbappé did better considering the main European leagues. In all, he is at 108 for the Nerazzurri, in tenth place in the striker rankings, with Vieri (123) and Icardi (124) already reachable this season.
September 22 – 4.45pm
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