If Inter is to progress as a team in the remaining games of the season, Lautaro Martinez, their striker, must overcome his recent slump and seven-match goal drought.
According to the Italian news source Gazzetta, this is the case. This suggests that the Nerazzurri will continue to struggle, especially in the final third, as long as the 25-year-old continues to seem like a sad shadow of his best.
While Martinez had displayed some of his very best performances while wearing an Inter jersey in the months of January and February, his performance has drastically declined recently.
Prior to the international break, the Argentine lost to Spezia and missed a critical penalty, while his anonymous league appearances against Juventus and Fiorentina on either side of the break went unnoticed.
Martinez then turned in another dismal performance against the Bianconeri in the Coppa Italia yesterday evening, earning the distinction of being Inter’s worst player for the evening.
It may not be a coincidence that Martinez’s stellar play in the weeks following the World Cup coincided with a mainly successful run for his team, whereas his recent downturn has caused the team to suffer a string of defeats.
The Nerazzurri rely on Martinez to score goals and keep them moving in the final third, but when the 25-year-old is a little slow on the uptake, misplacing passes, and reacting slowly to every ball into the box, it appears as though they are currently without a clear outlet in front of goal.
Accordingly, the Gazzetta contends that Martinez’s recent slump in form is largely to blame for the Nerazzurri’s recent finishing woes.
It is easy to see how Inter could start to play at their best throughout the stretch run of the season if the Argentine can get back to being himself.
