Inside Lautaro’s discussion with Arnautovic post Inter’s misses

Lautaro Martinez reflects on Inter's match against Atletico Madrid, expressing regrets over missed opportunities and offering reassurance to teammate Marko Arnautovic after his misses.

Chirag

February 21, 2024

Lautaro Martinez Opens About Missed Chances — Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images

Lautaro Martinez shares the counsel he offered Marko Arnautovic to offer reassurance following Inter’s missed opportunities, alongside acknowledging his own regrets from the match against Atletico Madrid. He reflects, “I can always do better when I don’t score.”

In the challenging encounter against Diego Simeone’s squad in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg at San Siro, the Nerazzurri struggled to penetrate their defence.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Lautaro Martinez emphasized the significance of the match, stating, “It was a fundamental match for us this evening, we needed to get a positive result. I think we could’ve scored more goals, but it is important to have a lead,”

Despite numerous clear-cut chances, notably missed by Arnautovic, the Austrian eventually found the net with a rebound from Jan Oblak’s save off Lautaro Martinez’s shot.

Asked about his conversation with Arnautovic following the miss, Lautaro remarked, “Marko is a very experienced player with a great career, I am the captain and just reassured him. I too have had moments like this, I know it is not easy, but all the hard work he did in training paid off.”

With Marcus Thuram’s early exit due to a muscular issue, Arnautovic’s introduction altered the team dynamic significantly. Lautaro emphasized adaptability, drawing from his experience with various strike partners at Inter.

Despite his efforts, Lautaro Martinez failed to score, expressing disappointment that the victory over Atletico Madrid remained a narrow 1-0. Reflecting on a missed opportunity, he explained, “I wanted to hit it first time, but the ball was a bit slow and was stuck on my left foot. I thought of the goal I scored against Verona, so I tried to control it and send the defender to ground. It was a big chance, I feel bad for missing it. I can always do better when I don’t score.”