Lautaro Martínez and his 19th goal for Inter, which cuts malaria in Serie A and fights for the next Champions League

It was a good week in the Champions League for Inter and for the Argentinian Lautaro Martínez. A few days ago he sealed his qualification for the semifinals of the main European club tournament where he will face his classic Milan and this Sunday he fought Empoli 3 to 0 (with goals from the world champion ‘Toro’) which closes a series of defeats of five games without a win in Serie A and cut ground in the fight for a ticket to the next edition of ‘Orejona’.

Beyond the goal by Bahia, in the 88th minute, and the ownership of Joaquín Correa, the great protagonist of the match was the Belgian Romelu Lukakuwith a brace in the second half that put the Nerazzurri on the right path, who hadn’t won in Serie A since 5 March.

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The euphoria that meant qualifying for the ‘Champions’ semi-finals ended a few days ago. And it is that Inter, who finished sixth in the match against Empoli, outside the top-4, had no margin for error today if they didn’t want to stay out of the European positions as well.

But Lukaku has the task of chasing away any ghost in a radically different second half from the first, in a game in which Inzaghi, despite the complicated situation, has opted for a team full of substitutes. Onana, Bastoni, Dimarco, Darmian, Dumfries, Barella and Lautaro came on the bench.

It was the perfect moment to take revenge and ask for more minutes in this final stretch of the season for a Lukaku who accepted the offer and emerged victorious.

He couldn’t impose his physique or his eye for goal in a paceless first half, comfortable for Empoli in defense, in which Inter barely managed to generate danger beyond the individual actions of Correa or by Lukaku himself.

At the start of the complement, the Belgian received the goal in front of him and, without thinking, without even raising his head, shot with his right leg and adjusted the ball against the post to open the scoring.

Shortly after, Lukaku showed another of his virtues: physical power. He caught due to the left edge of the area, threw a bicycle at his marker and punched a hole, leaving the defender behind to shoot, this time with his good leg.

Lautaro Martínez joined the party in the 88th minute, twenty years after replacing Correa. El Toro completed the victory after capitalizing on a good assist from Lukaku himself and defined with a left-footed shot that goalkeeper Perisan was unable to contain.

Inter took a breather in Serie A and are aiming for another decisive match: on Wednesday they will host Juventus in the rematch of the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia (the first leg was 1-1). Lautaro and Lukaku took the first step to end a season with irregularities in the best possible way.