Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi feels that there would only be reason to worry about the form of striker Lautaro Martinez if chances were no longer falling to him.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Amazon Prime ahead of this evening’s Champions League clash with Barcelona, the coach expressed confidence in the Argentine’s performances in spite of his recent goal drought.
Martinez has now gone eight Inter matches without finding the back of the net.
This is the third-longest spell in which the 25-year-old has failed to score for the Nerazzurri.
By and large, however, the displays that Martinez has put in have not been bad ones, even if he has spurned some good chances to score.
In Inzaghi’s view, the fact that these opportunities are arriving at all shows that it won’t take much for the striker to get back amongst the goals.
“He’s working very well for the team,” the coach said of Martinez.
“It’s been one of those periods for him, but a striker should only worry if he isn’t getting chances, and he’s created them in all the matches he’s played.”
Inzaghi looked back on his own playing career, stating that “Looking back a number of years, I was only worried if I couldn’t get myself in front of goal.”
Of this evening’s match, the coach said that “The reverse fixture had been an opportunity, a great evening. But we have to follow it up.”
“This will be a different match, full of potential pitfalls.”
Inzaghi noted that “We’ll have to maintain our compactness and play at our best in this match.”
Of criticisms that he and the team have received, the coach said that “In football you have to know how to accept them, I have mature players who know that these moments can happen.”
“We’re taking it one match at a time, the last two have been very positive,” he continued.
“We will have to play another great game because we know what lies ahead.”
Of the presence of treble-winners Julio Cesar and Diego Milito at the stadium for this evening’s match, Inzaghi said that “They’ve made the history of this club.”
“There was a reverse fixture, it was conditioned by the result in that match, but they managed an incredible feat to overcome a brilliant Barcelona team and win the Champions League.”
“I would like to have worked with both of them because they were great players, and now I’ve seen them both comment and they’re equally great off the pitch.”
