Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi praised his team’s 2-0 Serie A, secured home victory over Como on Monday and stated he was not concerned about diligent captain Lautaro Martinez’s scoring drought.
Despite the reigning champions missing the firepower from last week’s 6-0 rout of Lazio, Inzaghi emphasized his squad were up to the challenge presented by struggling Como.
“Clearly we are sustaining a very high standard. All teams are advancing, there are rivals like Como who come to play excellent games, but we played a significant match as a mature and mindful team,” the Italian told journalists.
“I dreaded this match a lot, we had some vulnerabilities in the defense. We played a game of focus, in the first half we weren’t as sharp as normal. Then in the second half we increased the intensity and attacked at the right moments.”
Goals from Carlos Augusto and Marcus Thuram secured Inter the win that keeps them third with 37 points and a game in hand on leaders Atalanta, who hold 40 points.
Martinez has struggled to attain the form that made him Serie A leading scorer last season and has failed to score in over a month since achieving a 1-0 victory over Venezia in early November.
Yet Inzaghi remains optimistic about his forward, stating the Argentine is playing a crucial role in his team’s packed schedule.
“I was a forward, I know these moments occur,” he said. “Lautaro was one of the exceptional performers against Lazio.
“The attackers are working hard, we demand a lot of them and are trying to rest them as much as possible in the conditions.
“I told Lautaro to unwind, because he has always netted goals and always will, fortune will change and he should only be concerned if he doesn’t get scoring chances.”