Inzaghi Backs Martinez Despite Goal Drought After Inter Milan's Win Over Como

Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has expressed his confidence in Lautaro Martinez's abilities despite the striker's ongoing goal drought.

Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance in their 2-0 Serie A victory over Como on Monday. Inzaghi praised his side's display, stating that they had achieved a “very high level” against their determined opponents.

Inzaghi also addressed concerns about captain Lautaro Martinez's goal drought, emphasizing that he was not worried about the Argentine forward's lack of goals. Despite Martinez's dry spell, Inzaghi highlighted the player's tireless work ethic and contributions to the team's overall performance. The Inter Milan manager acknowledged that his team had not replicated the same level of attacking flair as in their 6-0 thrashing of Lazio the previous week, but stressed that they had risen to the challenge posed by a resilient Como side.

“Clearly we are maintaining a very high level. All teams are running ahead, there are opponents like Como who come to play great games, but we played an important game as a mature and aware team,” the Italian told reporters.

“I feared this match a lot, we had some weaknesses in the back line. We played a game of concentration, in the first half we weren't as sharp as usual. Then in the second half we raised the intensity and struck at the right moments.”

Goals from Carlos Augusto and Marcus Thuram propelled Inter Milan to a 2-0 victory, maintaining their third-place standing in the league with 37 points. Notably, they have a game in hand on leaders Atalanta, who currently sit on 40 points.

Lautaro Martinez has been struggling to replicate the form that made him Serie A's top scorer last season. The Argentine forward has not found the back of the net in over a month, with his last goal coming in a 1-0 win over Venezia in early November. Despite this, Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi remains confident in Martinez's abilities. Inzaghi acknowledged that every striker experiences periods of drought, drawing from his own experience as a former striker. “I was a striker, I know these moments happen,” he said. “Lautaro was one of the outstanding performers against Lazio. The forwards are working hard, we ask a lot of them and are trying to rest them as much as possible in the circumstances.”

“I told Lautaro to relax, because he has always scored goals and always will, luck will turn and he should only be worried if he doesn’t get scoring opportunities.”