Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez knows that the Nerazzurri always expect tough matches in the Champions League.
The Argentine spoke to Amazon Prime following the Nerazzurri’s 1-0 group stage win over Red Bull Salzburg, via FCInterNews.
For Inter, it’s job done.
The Nerazzurri have secured their spot in the Champions League knockout rounds for the third season in a row.
And they have done so with two matches to spare.
Undoubtedly, the team deserve their place in the round of sixteen. But at the same time, it has certainly not been as easy as it might seem.
In the first match of this season’s group stage, Inter snatched a draw away to Real Sociedad, but only after enduring one of their toughest matches of the campaign so far.
And then wins over Benfica and twice against Red Bull Salzburg were hard-fought.
That was certainly the case this evening.
Playing away from home, Inter had to suffer and fight, leaving it late to finally find the winner.
It was captain Martinez who scored the crucial goal. The 26-year-old came off the bench and scored from the penalty spot.
Lautaro Martinez: Inter Expect Matches Like This In Champions League
“I’m really happy, because we were in a difficult group, and we got the job done against a team who made life difficult for us,” Martinez said after the match.
“We always have to expect matches like this,” he went on.
“They pressed us high up the pitch from the first minute,” he noted. “But in the end, we deserved the win.
As for his penalty, Martinez noted that “You can train for it a lot. But then there’s also a lot of luck involved.”
“After training, we practice taking them,” the Inter captain said of penalties.
“Myself, Calha, Mkhi, Dimarco, anyone who wants to try taking them.”
“And scoring goals in the Champions League is always great. So I’m happy.”
Martinez also noted that “There are still two group stage matches left in the Champions League. So let’s see which position we end up finishing in.”
