Lautaro Martinez admitted he never thought he would become Inter Milan’s leading scorer in Champions League history. He also praised Alessandro Bastoni as the most valuable player in their recent match against Feyenoord.
Inter Milan delivered a dominant performance in Rotterdam. Marcus Thuram scored with an impressive flick, and Lautaro Martinez added another with a powerful strike, securing a 2-0 victory.
Inter could have extended their lead further, but Piotr Zielinski’s penalty was saved in the 65th minute.
Martinez’s goal was historic, making him Inter’s top scorer in the Champions League with 18 goals, surpassing the legendary Sandro Mazzola’s previous record in the old European Cup by one goal.
“I feel incredibly proud, as I never imagined achieving such a milestone,” Martinez told Amazon Prime Video Italia. “I am thankful to Inter, the fans, and my teammates for their support. I also want to thank my family in both Italy and Argentina, who have always been there for me.”
Lautaro Martinez Defends Inter’s Commitment
Inter Milan is the only Italian team remaining in the Champions League and the sole Serie A representative in three competitions, including the Coppa Italia semi-final against Milan.
“There’s a lot of talk about Inter, but we’ve been playing consistently every few days for the past eight months. Many of our players also have international duties, yet we always strive to give our best for this team.”
Bastoni had to adapt and play as a left wing-back due to injuries to Federico Dimarco, Carlos Augusto, Matteo Darmian, and Nicola Zalewski.
“We faced challenges today, and Bastoni truly deserved the Man of the Match award for his immense effort and sacrifice,” Martinez emphasized.
The Inter captain also addressed his critics, particularly those who called for a ban in Serie A over alleged blasphemous language, accusations he strongly denied.
“I respect everyone, but I was wrongly accused. I am happy to be demonstrating my true character on the pitch.”