Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez showed his leadership against Napoli after a tough week in the Champions League.
Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, analyze the Nerazzurri captain’s reaction to what has been a very complicated few days.
Martinez was the player who perhaps epitomized Inter’s disappointment in the Champions League more than any other player.
The 26-year-old was not the only Nerazzurri player to miss a penalty in the shootout against Atletico Madrid.
But it was Martinez’s woeful effort that confirmed that Inter would not be moving on to the quarterfinals.
That is a moment that the Inter captain will undoubtedly have been replaying in his mind.
But there was hardly time to dwell on that disappointment. Inter faced Napoli in Serie A just a few days after that heartbreak in Eruope.
Lautaro Martinez Reacts To UCL Heartbreak With Leadership Vs Napoli
Inter captain Martinez was not able to produce the kind of performance he’s capable of against Napoli.
Having failed to find the decisive edge against Atletico in the Champions League, the Argentine also failed to get on the end of any big chances against Napoli.
But that didn’t mean that Martinez didn’t have his influence.
The 26-year-old was the player who led Inter’s defensive line from the front. And he was also instrumental in orchestrating several dangerous counterattacking moves.
This was what Inter needed to look like themselves after a rough performance against Atletico.
And it is what the Nerazzurri will need going forward, with work still to do to wrap up the Serie A title.
Most of all, the Corriere argue, Martinez showed his leadership.
That is the reason why the 26-year-old now wears the captain’s armband just as much as his goals or technical quality.
And there could not be a time where it was more necessary for Inter.
