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| Lautaro Martinez Injury a Major Concern for Inter Ahead of Barcelona's Second Leg. |
Inter Milan’s impressive 3-3 draw against Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final was overshadowed by injury concerns. Star striker Lautaro Martinez, who only played the first half, is now a doubt for the second leg due to a hamstring issue.
Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi expressed his pessimism about Lautaro’s chances of featuring in the decisive second leg after the Argentine forward was forced to sit out the second half of the match at Camp Nou on Wednesday (April 30).
"Lautaro felt something in his leg. We’ll know more tomorrow after some tests, but it seems very unlikely he’ll be fit for the second leg, which is like a final for us," Inzaghi told Movistar Plus.
In addition to Lautaro’s injury, Inter are also without Benjamin Pavard, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Inzaghi, however, remains hopeful that Pavard could recover in time for next week’s crucial return leg at San Siro.
"We hope Pavard will be back next Tuesday, but I don't think we can expect the same from Lautaro, unfortunately. This will be a final for us, and I’m counting on 75,000 of our fans to help us achieve this incredible feat," he added.
Lautaro's Contribution: A Big Loss for Inter
Lautaro Martinez has scored eight goals in the Champions League this season, the most for Inter. What's remarkable is that those eight goals came from chances with an expected goals (xG) value of just 4.2, highlighting his clinical finishing ability.
Losing Lautaro would be a huge blow for Inter, especially considering how crucial he’s been in their European run. Barcelona will also be tough to beat, making his potential absence even more concerning.
Dumfries Remains Optimistic and Praises Team Spirit
On the bright side, Denzel Dumfries — who scored twice and provided an assist in the match — is staying positive despite Inter’s struggles with their early two-goal lead.
"I think it was a good game from us. After some bad results, we saw the real Inter again, playing with heart, and I’m really proud," Dumfries told Prime Video.
"Sure, we wanted to win, but it was a good game, and this result keeps the semi-final completely open. We’ll see at San Siro, where everything is possible for us. We are a strong team, and we need to prove that in every game."
Dumfries' performance also made history. He became the first Dutch player since Wesley Sneijder in April 2010 to both score and assist in a Champions League semi-final, and like Sneijder, it was against Barcelona while playing for Inter!
The second leg at San Siro will be the ultimate decider. While Lautaro Martinez is likely to miss the match, Inter still have plenty of heart, confidence, and the support of their fans to advance to the final. Let’s see what surprises they have in store next week!
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