Lautaro Martinez has once again failed to convert from the spot, with his shortcomings from 12 yards proving increasingly costly for Inter Milan.
The 26-year-old sent his shot to the stands in the shootouts against Atletico Madrid, which sent his side packing from the Champions League.
This season, Hakan Calhanoglu has been the designated penalty-kick taker for the Nerazzurri.
Although the Turk has been flawless in this regard, some argue that he should leave some for the captain who is chasing goal-scoring records.
But as Tuttosport (via FcInterNews) points out, the Argentine hasn’t exactly been reliable from the spot.
In fact, his miss against Atletico was only the latest in a series of costly blunders from 12 yards.
The 2022 World Cup winner almost failed to convert in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 earlier this season. The match culminated with Inter’s elimination at the hands of Bologna.
The source also digs up similar episodes, including a miss against Lazio in the Coppa Italia in 2019.
Martinez also came up short against Milan goalkeeper Tatarusanu in a Derby della Madonnina encounter in 2021/22 which eventually ended 1-1.
In his career, Lautaro has converted 17 spot kicks from his 28 attempts. His overall success rate stands at 61%, which is a relatively mediocre percentage.
Nevertheless, the striker has a perfect 3/3 record with the Argentine national team. On the other hand, his record with Inter is currently 14/24.
Inter Milan Captain Lautaro Martinez Continues To Disappoint From The Spot
On another note, the source argues that the Nerazzurri skipper hasn’t been sharp in the Champions League all season.
While he’s been firing on all cylinders in Serie A, Martinez only netted twice in Europe this season.
Sadly for Inter, Marcus Thuram didn’t fare much better on the continent, which surely didn’t help the club’s European cause.
