Disappointed by the seventh place in the Ballon d’Or and due to his lack of goal, the captain of Inter Milan, <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/01/simone-inzaghi-is-again-the-bogeyman-of-juventus-inter-scores-in-121st-minute-football-italy/" title="Simone Inzaghi is again the bogeyman of Juventus, Inter scores in 121st minute | football Italy”>Lautaro Martínezis angry ahead of their Champions League clash against Arsenal at San Siro on Wednesday (9:00 p.m.).
On Sunday night, after his team’s hard-fought 1-0 victory against modest Venicethe Argentine striker exploded live on the platform DAZNto the surprise of his audience, unaccustomed to seeing him so vehement.
“We have to learn to kill games when we dominate them like this,” he became angry.
A few minutes before, when he had abandoned his teammates in the 71st minute waiting for the clash against the Arsenal, Martínez27, had pounced on the referee at the final whistle to criticize him for having run out of regulation time.
“It makes me angry,” he shouted, summarizing the feeling that had been overwhelming him for several days.
It all started with the awarding of the Ballon d’Or at the end of October: top scorer in the Italian championship and the Copa América, competitions he won with Inter and Argentina, Martínez saw himself much higher than seventh place in the standings.
“Honestly, I expected better, but at the same time, these trophies are sometimes not awarded fairly,” he says bitterly.
And Martínez is nervous at a time when Inter is 2nd in Serie A, one point behind the leader, the Naples, and the Lombard club has added seven points out of a possible nine in the Champions League, it is also because its start to the season has left it hungry for more.
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His statistics (5 goals in the league, one in the Champions League) are much lower than those of last season (12 in the league after the eleventh matchday, one in the Champions League before the fourth matchday).
His association with Marcus Thuramso explosive during the 2023-24 season that it ended with the Inter winning its 20th league title, is less effective at the moment.
“The reason is simple,” defended the No.10, scorer of 44 goals with his club last season. “I returned late to training after the America’s Cupsince then I have worked hard and I feel that it is coming back.”
As proof of this, on Sunday he scored his first goal in San Siro since….February 2023, eight months of drought at home, and on Wednesday he will start for the first time this season in the Champions League.
Simone Inzaghi He did not want to take risks with his forward, who this summer extended his contract with Inter until 2029.
Martínez He has only played 79 minutes in the Champions League, insufficient at the moment to make an impression with a view to the Ballon d’Or in 2025.
However, that could soon change if he is forced to turn his gaze towards the Arsenalwhich like the Inter has added seven points in the Champions Leaguebut is struggling in the league (5th), with just one point in its last three games.
