Lautaro Martínez: From Messi's partner to Lamine Yamal's rival

Lautaro Martínez (27) was not born a goalscorer. In Bahía Blanca (Buenos Aires), where basketball is played more than football , he started playing as a right back in the youth teams. But he stood out for his speed and offensive instinct that led him to change positions and triumph today at Inter, being their top scorer in history in the Champions League with 20 goals. As a youth player, he also stood out for his surprising maturity that led him to worry about atypical things for a kid like food. Before the games he would say to his mother: "Cook pasta, I have to play."

The Argentine joined Racing Club's youth system in 2014. He made his professional debut in 2015 and remained there until Inter took a shine to him in 2018. He hasn't moved from there, although in 2020, Barça were reportedly interested but lacking the financial resources. At that time, he was already one of Leo Messi's favorite partners, who revealed in Argentina that he had felt comfortable with him and his friend, Kun Agüero. Messi, who doesn't usually shower praise on others in case it disappoints him later, said that it caught the attention of the club.

Inzaghi's respect

“I have the utmost respect for Barça. They're one of the best teams in the world. But we're not afraid,” warned Inter manager Simone Inzaghi. Part of that respect he feels for Barcelona lies in Hansi Flick, whom he described as “a great coach who has organized an offensive team very well, who wins the ball back when they lose it, and who is very well-equipped with attacking players. It's a team built with youth players. They've scored more than 150 goals. They have Lamine Yamal, a unique talent in the world because he can make great plays and is very useful to his team,” he cautioned in a low tone, admitting that the two teams' moods are contrasting. “They're coming off a Cup win. We've suffered three defeats in the last week,” he acknowledged. Inter face the match without the injured Pavard and have forward Marcus Thuram, Lautaro's best partner, who has missed the last few games due to discomfort. Inzaghi gave no clue as to whether the Frenchman, who trained yesterday, will start.

Lautaro, who became Messi's partner in the World Cup that Argentina won in Qatar, is now the hope of an Inter side that arrives in Barcelona in the midst of a footballing crisis. An Inter that needs the Argentine to perform against Barcelona and end the scoring drought of the last three matches, in which the Italians have let the Coppa Italia and the Serie A lead slip away without scoring a single goal. He went from dreaming of the treble to potentially losing nothing in just a few days. "We're not used to losing; it's difficult and tough. But we've worked hard. This gives me confidence because I see the lads eager to turn things around," the forward concluded.

Lautaro won't have Messi in front of him, nor will he be alongside him. He will be facing Lamine Yamal. "He's an important player and has a great future. But for me, there's no comparison. Leo is and will always be the best player of all time," insisted the Argentine, the team's leader and great hope.

Lautaro already knows what it's like to face Barcelona. He has faced the Blaugrana six times, though he has only won once. That's true. In the Champions League, he was the team's key player in the 2022 Champions League, in the group stage where, with an assist and a goal at Camp Nou, he rescued a draw for his team. Barça didn't make it past the group stage. In contrast, Lautaro's Inter team reached the Champions League final, losing in Istanbul to Manchester City. "The Lautaro of today is a captain and an older player who wants to keep winning and playing in finals. He's eager to face this Barcelona team the right way with his teammates," the forward noted.

That's a story that haunts the Argentine, a living legend of the club as Inter's top scorer in the Champions League with 20 goals and the club's all-time top foreign scorer with another 150. "I'm older now. And I want to return to a final. Against Barça, we must never lack heart. And we have it," the captain concluded. His best dance partner has always been Marcus Thuram, with whom he understands perfectly. In Italy, they're known as 'ThuLa'. Thuram suffered an injury to his left adductor on April 18 and missed Inter's last three matches. "He's a great player. He's important to me," he concluded.