Inter striker Lautaro Martinez has come in for praise in Italian media for adding energy to the Argentine national team off the bench in their shootout win over the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
The 25-year-old received a score of 6.5/10 in the player ratings for the match published in today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who lauded his work rate and physicality in the scrappy closing stages of the contest.
Martinez was once again left out of Argentina’s starting eleven in favour of Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez for yesterday’s match.
However, the Nerazzurri striker came off the bench for the Man City man as he had done in the second half against both Poland and Australia.
With Alvarez tiring and the match becoming increasingly physical and scrappy, the Albiceleste were in need of a player who could compete for every ball and put the Dutch defense under pressure.
Martinez more than did this, whilst the Inter striker capped off his performance by scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout win to send Argentina to the semifinals.