The Argentine is, together with the other two big names, among the three players who in each of the last two seasons have been involved in at least 25 goals – between goals and assists – in the league. The missed penalty? Not a limit, but an opportunity to evolve
Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lautaro Martinez. These are the three players who in each of the last two seasons have taken part in at least 25 goals – including goals and assists – in the league: the Argentine joined this trio by shining in injury time on the 21st matchday of Serie A, in that Inter-Atalanta which on paper should have been one of the most complex matches between the Nerazzurri and the second star and which instead became a midweek exhibition match in front of an audience that often dines on bread and show, without ever feeling full. Of course, such dominance certainly cannot be limited to just one performer, but the evening of the Bahia Blanca phenomenon was yet another pearl in a season that would enrich the jewelers in the center of Milan. And the fact that these words are used for a footballer who also missed a penalty in the same match is an incontrovertible sign of the greatness of the protagonist.
all for him
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Twenty-three goals in 24 days, with two horns as sharp as ever: since he joined Inter, Toro has always improved his league tally, forcefully entering all the top 10 scorers in the club’s history. And the captain never feels satisfied after a new goal: he celebrated 100 goals in Serie A against Lecce, immediately scored his 101st in the same match and reached 102 three days later, also touching the numbers 103 and 104. When he scored he enjoyed with open arms the whole stadium screaming his name; when he came out, halfway between a refreshing turnover and the due tribute of San Siro, he stopped for long seconds standing on the sidelines to sincerely thank an audience with which he now experiences a visceral, symbiotic and ecstatic bond.
the flashes
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Identifying the turning points in a story – or in a match – is not always a simple operation: in any case, in the 4-0 against Atalanta, Lautaro was there. Because it is true that the start of the match was quite hard-fought, but it is equally true that in one guise or another Toro showed the team the direction, he took it personally with the three points which are worth +12 on the Juventus. The opening goal, first of all: if Marco Carnesecchi is forced to leave the posts in a hurry it is because he has to prevent Henrikh Mkhitaryan from arriving at the brilliant through ball that the number 10 served him from nowhere, seeing the space behind him. And so Matteo Darmian was able to press the “goal” button undisturbed. A few minutes before the break, then, it was the moment of a crossbar that came out of nowhere – as before – which made Atalanta tremble like a confused boxer after a well-placed hook: Lautaro was outside the area, once again , not to be an assistman but to hit from distance. That punch grazed the Goddess, but the Argentine has not only his right but also his left, which suddenly materialized in the first minute of injury time, once again with preparation with his back to the goal: beautiful, beautiful and unstoppable, a comet under the crossbar . Of course, in the 54th minute Carnesecchi took personal revenge by saving his penalty (eighth error of his career) and underlining to everyone that there is a voice in which Serie A’s top scorer can still improve. With a note to save in your phone’s notes: can we bet that this too will be an opportunity to evolve further, rather than a limit?
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