Lecce wingback Gabriel Strefezza is ready to try and make life difficult for Inter strike pair Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez in this evening’s Serie A opener.

Speaking to Italian news outlet Gazzetta.it, Strefezza talked about his team’s preparations to try and contain the Nerazzurri’s attack, whilst he also noted that current Inter coach Simone Inzaghi had turned down the chance to sign him for Lazio due to his height.

Lukaku and Martinez were an extremely prolific partnership during their two seasons together at Inter, and will be expected to be one of Serie A’s most formidable attacks now that they are reunited.

Lecce will face a serious test for their first match back in Serie A in the form of the Inter strike partnership, but as Strefezza made clear, they have done their homework.

“We watched some video of Inter, we have to keep Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez at bay,” he explained. “Lukaku is strong and Lautaro can run off him. They can make life very difficult for us.”

“We must keep our shape well defensively and then take our opportunities to counterattack, in our 4-3-3,” he continued.

Strefezza explained that Lecce plan to “Build play on the wings for our strikers to finish, whether with their heads or tap-ins.”

“The Inter defense is very quick with Bastoni, Skriniar, and de Vrij,” Strefezza noted. “Lecce fans have already done their part by buying over 20,000 season tickets. It’s up to us to pay them back.”

Of his being rejected by Lazio, Strefezza recalled that “I stayed for a week on trial at Palermo and then at Lazio. Simone Inzaghi, Lazio coach at the time, told my agent that I was good as a footballer, but a bit too short.”

“But then the SPAL took me,” he continued. “I don’t bear any ill will towards Inzaghi, these kinds of things happen all the time in football.”