Inter need striker Lautaro Martinez to get over his recent bad run of form and seven-match goal drought if they’re to improve as a team over the run-in of the season.
This according to Italian news outlet Gazzetta.it, who argue that as long as the 25-year-old continues to look like a misfiring shadow of his best, then the Nerazzurri will continue to struggle, particularly in the final third.
Whilst Martinez had shown some of his very best form in an Inter shirt during the months of January and February, his form has badly tailed off in recent weeks.
The Argentine missed a crucial penalty in a loss against Spezia before the international break, whilst his appearances against Juventus and Fiorentina in league matches either side of the break were anonymous.
Then, against the Bianconeri in the Coppa Italia yesterday evening, Martinez once again looked very poor, and was even named as Inter’s worst performer on the night.
It is perhaps not a coincidence that whilst Martinez’ blazing form in the few weeks after the World Cup coincided with a largely positive run for his team, his latest slump has seen the team run into a sequence of bad results.
The fact is that the Nerazzurri rely on Martinez, both for goals and to make them tick in the final third, and so when the 25-year-old is a bit off the pace, misplacing his passes and late to every ball into the area, they currently look as though they lack a clear outlet in front of goal.
Accordingly, the Gazzetta suggests, a lot of the Nerazzurri’s recent crisis in finishing comes down to a bad run of form by Martinez.
If the Argentine is to return to his best then it is not hard to see how Inter could start to look like their best selves over the run-in of the season.
On the other hand, the simple fact remains that Martinez has now gone 495 minutes without a goal for the Nerazzurri, and if this run is extended then the team could keep slumping in front of goal.
