Sigh of relief at Inter: Pavard and Lautaro Martinez are back in action
After the spectacular 3-3 draw in the first leg, Inter Milan now welcomes favorites Barcelona to their home stadium for the return leg. Two questions arise ahead of the match: Can Benjamin Pavard and Lautaro Martinez play? And how do you actually stop Lamine Yamal?
Training again in time for the return match against Barcelona: Benjamin Pavard and Lautaro Martinez. IMAGO/MB Media Solutions
A week ago , Lautaro Martinez was once again part of Inter's starting lineup for the thrilling 3-3 first leg of their Champions League semifinal clash with FC Barcelona – but only for one half. A thigh injury has sidelined the Argentine World Cup winner since then.
However, the great fear has recently given way to the ever-growing hope that the Nerazzurri captain will be able to play alongside his congenial strike partner Marcus Thuram again in his own Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on Tuesday evening (9 p.m., LIVE! on kicker).
Lautaro Martinez himself posted a bare-chested photo of himself doing pull-ups on Instagram, accompanied by two emojis: an hourglass and a fully charged battery. Inter fans naturally interpreted this as a sign that the star player had recovered from his injury and would be fit in time for the decisive match for a place in the final.
Inzaghi is not worriedIt's fitting that Lautaro Martinez was able to participate in Monday's final training session, as was Benjamin Pavard , who suffered an ankle injury in the 1-0 defeat to Roma immediately before the first leg . Although the two initially missed the obligatory corner (rondo), they subsequently completed the sessions.
Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi , who will face his brother Filippo in the upcoming Serie A season , further fueled hopes of the pair's appearances during a conversation with Sky Sport Italia . He was optimistic, although of course, both players still have to wait and see. Especially his captain: "Lautaro has been out completely since Wednesday. We'll monitor everything closely and then make the best decision."
At Monday's press conference, Inzaghi added that he wasn't complacent about the possibility of injury ( Yann Aurel Bisseck recently replaced Pavard, while Marko Arnautovic or Mehdi Taremi would be Lautaro Martinez's alternatives): "Unfortunately, we've had to deal with many setbacks throughout the season. However, we know our squad is well-equipped." After the light training sessions on Tuesday morning, decisions will be made for the good of the team. Because, the coach made it clear: "A player who can't start from the beginning can't help much in the final minutes of a game."
Partly because many of his regulars were rested in last weekend's fortunate 1-0 win over Hellas Verona , Inzaghi still has a wide selection of top players at his disposal. So there's no reason to worry, but there is in another case. In the first leg, Barcelona's gem Lamine Yamal kept the Nerazzurri extremely busy. The Inter coach had nothing but warm words for the Spanish European champions' fantastic performance, who were at times thwarted by three (!) opponents during the spectacular 3-3 draw.
Followed by a thoughtful one on this Monday. Because the Italian coach doesn't have a way to truly stop Lamine Yamal in mind: "It's difficult. We have to try to prevent him from getting the ball in the first place, which is almost impossible in modern football. But he will be challenged, doubled up – and we will be very careful. But as I said after the first leg: seeing him live is something very special. He's an extraordinary talent and incredibly dangerous for his age (17; editor's note )."
