Lautaro Martinez Sends Inter Milan Top Of Serie A

After scoring four goals for Inter against Salernitana, Lautaro Martinez is on course to break the Italian all-time record

Inter Milan thrashed Salernitana 0-4 on matchday seven of Serie A courtesy of four goals from Lautaro Martinez, the Argentine coming off the bench to plunder in a poker in the space of 27 minutes. The win returned the Nerazzurri to the top of the standings.

With UEFA Champions League (UCL) coming midweek, Inter, Milan, Lazio and Napoli contested their domestic matches on Saturday, Simone Inzaghi’s side travelling to the Stadio Arechi, near Naples. Salernitana had kept Inter at bay for the first hour but capitulated after World Cup Winner Martinez was sent on in the second half.

Incredibly, Martinez has shot out to nine goals in seven matches, six more than this time last season, to lead Inter’s march towards a potential 20th Scudetto. Moreover, the 26-year-old extended his lead over €200M-rated ($212M) Victor Osimhen (5) in the race for Capocannoniere (leading goalscorer), the Nigerian claiming that title after producing 26 last term.

With many club and international teammates complimenting the performance against Salernitana on social media, it was the words of his coach post-match which amplified his importance on and off the pitch.

“It is an excellent start, but in my two years here he was always consistent and tonight was the time to have a little rest. He is our leader, the captain, he must continue like this,” Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia.

On an individual level, the four-goal haul is the crowning moment of Martinez’s club career following two Serie A career hat tricks – one of which helped Inter destroy Salernitana 5-0 in 2022. Throughout Europe’s top leagues, Inter’s goal machine has outscored Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (8), Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (8), PSG’s Kylian Mbappe (7), and Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (5) so far.

According to Opta, Martinez is only the third Inter player in history to score at least nine goals in the first seven games of a Serie A campaign after Antonio Angelillo (14) in 1958-59 and Roberto Boninsegna (9) in 1973-74, and the first player to get four goals as a substitute in Italy’s top tier since the three points for a win era began in 1994.

As captain of Inter, Martinez has displayed maturity on the pitch, explaining to Sky Sport Italia that life at home has made it easier at the club, “I try to improve both on the field and off. I have a family, two children now and that helps me to stay focused and centred.”

Marcus Thuram replaced Edin Dzeko in the summer, the Frenchman providing four assists in his first seven Serie A appearances for Inter – the best on record since Opta started collecting data in 2004. Thuram, who signed from Lille, is the son of former Parma and Juventus defender Lillian Thuram who scored a semi-final brace at FIFA ‘98, helping Les Bleus win their first-ever world title.

Simone Inzaghi’s side reissued a warning to the rest of the competition, many doubting Inter’s credentials after losing to Sassuolo 2-1 on matchday six at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan. With Saturday’s defeat, Salernitana remains winless, languishing in the dropzone (19th place) with three draws and four losses under coach Paolo Sousa.

The Bull’s explosive start to the season has generated two braces against Monza and Fiorentina, and the all-important equaliser away at Real Sociedad on matchday one of the UCL group stage. Despite last season’s third-place Serie finish, Inter sent shockwaves across the footballing world, reaching the UCL Final after defeating AC Milan, Porto and Benfica during the knockout stages.

Inter will again host Benfica at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on matchday two and Il Toro could score against the Portuguese outfit for the second time this calendar year. The two clubs played out a brilliant 3-3 draw during the UCL Quarter Final second-leg in April, with Martinez side-footing home a Federico Dimarco cross from six yards.

Meanwhile, Milan travels to Germany to face Borussia Dortmund. Much thanks to USMNT winger Christian Pulisić’s stunning opener, the Rossoneri have now won six of their opening seven games in Serie A for the third time since 1994 with a resounding 2-0 win over Lazio who plays Celtic in Glasgow.

Napoli has overcome a tumultuous week of TikTok drama by sinking Lecce 0-4 at the Stadio Via Del Mare. With the UCL match against Real Madrid in sight, Victor Osimhen was rotated out of the starting eleven for Geovanni Simeone and Gli Azzurri led after Leo Østigård’s header – his first goal in the league- found the net in the 15th minute.

Osimhen was introduced at halftime, the Super Eagle flying high to double Napoli’s lead in the 51st minute. Coach Rudi Garcia was asked about Humble Victor’s omission from the starting lineup before the match.

“Lecce have had a great start to the season and we must be at 100 per cent physically and mentally to get a result,” he told DAZN.

“There has to be squad rotation, it is almost a third of the team that changed since the game with Udinese, so it’s natural to look to everyone, including those who come off the bench.”

Gianluca Gaetano was also given a rare opportunity by thundering in from the edge of the box. Matteo Politano converted a late penalty, spot-kicks a contentious issue in Naples, to end Lecce’s remarkable undefeated home-game run. The Salentini are now seventh in Italy’s top flight while Napoli’s ascent into third place will boost confidence in the lead-up to Tuesday night’s clash with Carlo Ancelotti’s Los Blancos at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Serie A action continues with Bologna-Empoli, Udinese-Genoa, Atalanta-Juventus, Roma-Frosinone, Sassuolo-Monza, Torino-Verona and Fiorentina-Cagliari.