Inter will be hoping that the “World Cup effect” means that striker Lautaro Martinez can sustain the form he is currently showing for the rest of the season rather than running into a goal drought at some point.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, via FCInterNews, who suggest that the Nerazzurri will be hoping that this boost for the Argentine will be permanent.
Since the return from the winter break, it would be hard to argue that anyone other than Martinez has been Inter’s in-form player.
The 25-year-old has gotten on the scoresheet seven times across all competitions, and assisted an additional goal.
Moreover, Martinez’s contribution has gone well beyond just scoring goals, as the Argentine has looked energized by winning the World Cup with Argentina and shown it in all phases of play with an intensity that has set the tone for the entire team.
The one worry for Inter will be that Martinez has shown great patches of form in the past as well, and often they have dried up at the worst moments.
One of the main criticisms that the Argentine has received across the past couple of seasons is that whilst he has had runs where he has been very prolific in front of goal, he has also had lengthy goal droughts.
If this recent run of form is how Martinez plays for the rest of the season, then he could drive Inter on to fight for trophies until the end of the campaign.
If, however, this is only a temporary boost in form that will fade as the World Cup gets further back in the rearview mirror, the Nerazzurri could be in trouble if another one of Martinez’s fallow periods in front of goal turns up.