Corriere dello Sport described Lautaro Martinez as the emotional symbol of Inter Milan’s 3–1 loss to Napoli.

The newspaper argued that the captain’s frustration, both in his performance and in the touchline clash with Antonio Conte, mirrored the team’s collapse.

CdS wrote, via FCInterNews, that Lautaro was “the exact photograph of Inter’s match: wasteful and unlucky in the first half, then nervous and reactive in the second, ending up playing Napoli’s game.”

Inter, the league’s best attack, were limited to a single goal from the penalty spot.

CdS highlighted that Lautaro “could have exploited two big chances, the first of which might have shifted the match.”

His early one-on-one, saved by Milinkovic-Savic, was labelled an “odd error” for a striker usually so clinical.

Napoli 3-1 Inter Milan: Lautaro Martinez Centre Of Attention After Defeat

Lautaro Martinez Inter Milan
MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 30: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring their team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between FC Internazionale Milano and SK Slavia Praha at Stadio San Siro on September 30, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The paper did however credit Lautaro for earning the spot-kick that brought Inter back to 2–1.

Furthermore noting how he “headed Dimarco’s cross onto Buongiorno’s raised arm,” forcing VAR to intervene.

But the turning point, according to CdS, was psychological.

The “parapiglia in front of the Napoli bench” and Lautaro’s “hard-nosed aggression toward Conte” were seen as the moment Inter lost focus.

Indeed, Chivu also admitting post-match that the team “took the bait and wasted energy.”

CdS concluded that Lautaro’s rage, justified or not, was the portrait of an Inter side that lost clarity and control.

This attitude transformed a winnable contest into a damaging step backwards in the Scudetto race.