An incredible night for Lautaro: "I'm proud and... so happy!"

PRAGUE – A magical night. It’s difficult to describe it as anything else. And Lautaro Martinez put in an almost perfect performance. The Argentine has now scored eleven this season, nine of which – including tonight’s opener – have come in the first 30 minutes of play. The brace scored this evening by El Toro was not only vital for Inter’s Champions League hopes, but also big from a statistical point of view. This was the fourth match in a row in which he’s scored in Europe’s elite competition: only Crespo (2002), Vieri (2003) and Eto'o (2010) had previously managed to do this for Inter. Lautaro has joined a prestigious club made up of Argentine footballers who have scored in four consecutive fixtures in a row in the Champions League, with Hernan Crespo (2002), Lionel Messi (on six occasions), Sergio Agüero (2019) and Ezequiel Lavezzi (2013) having achieved this feat. Furthermore, Crespo was the last Nerazzurri player to score a brace on the road in the Champions League.

These are fantastic numbers but Lautaro Martinez will keep his feet on the ground. Following the game in Prague, he spoke to both Inter TV and Sky Sport and had the following to say: “We’re happy because, as I always say, goals are important but it’s even more important to play for the team. All of us work to find understanding and Lukaku is fantastic, both on and off the pitch.

“After our goal in the first half, we gave away a penalty. The whole match was intense, but we played intelligently and were well-organised on the pitch. We’ve managed to pick up three important points which we will need as we get ready to face Barcelona to try to qualify for the final 16 of the Champions League. We’ll have to fight, but this is why we work during the week. We’re growing, but this group is a happy one.”

He finished with some great words: “I’m proud and happy. I’m living the dream and feel it’s important to let my family, who are following me from Argentina, know this. I’m happy!”