Inter have Lautaro Martinez confession and target Barcelona ‘weak points’

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 19: Massimiliano Farris, Assistant Head Coach of FC Internazionale, reacts during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Empoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 19, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Inter assistant manager Massimiliano Farris admits Lautaro Martinez is ‘more no than yes’ for the Coppa Campioni semi-final, noting they’re planning to ‘take advantage’ of Barcelona weak points.

The Nerazzurri already knew before setting foot on the pitch that Napoli had won 1-0 away to Lecce, which put the destiny of the Scudetto squarely in Antonio Conte’s hands.

With that in mind, as well as various suspensions, injuries and of course the fact they will host Barcelona in the Coppa Campioni semi-final second leg on Tuesday evening, they rotated 10 players for the starting XI against Verona.

They got the job done anyway, as Kristjan Asllani kept his cool to convert an early penalty after the Nicolas Valentini handling offence, and that ultimately proved to be enough.

Farris steps in for suspended Inter coach Inzaghi

Farris spoke to the media because Simone Inzaghi is sitting out a touchline ban, as part of a plea bargain along with Hakan Calhanoglu in an investigation into Inter connections with unsavoury elements of the ultras groups.

“The intensity, concentration and desire to take the initiative were all still there. We knew it would not be easy to find spaces against Verona, we could’ve moved it quicker in the second half once those spaces opened up a little bit, but we had the right attitude,” Farris told Sky Sport Italia.

“We had many players who haven’t played together for many minutes, so they needed to get to know each other better, but they all stepped up to the plate.”

Inter ready for Barcelona showdown

Now the focus turns towards the Coppa Campioni, as it is wide open after that 3-3 thriller away to Barcelona.

“There is great confidence. We played with courage against one of the best teams in the world, when we were coming off a very difficult moment,” continued Farris.

“We went there with the plan to take advantage of some of Barcelona’s weaknesses. We are also well aware that they are a great team who love to keep the ball and pinned us back at times, so we need to work on that a bit more.

“The fact remains, we reached this stage of the season and are challenging Barcelona for a place in the Coppa Campioni Final, so that is something to be proud of. Now that we are here, will give our all to keep going.”

The big question is whether or not Lautaro Martinez will shake off that muscular problem to at least be on the bench on Tuesday night.

“It is true that it’s not a lesion, so there is a little hope, but at the moment it’s more no than yes. He hasn’t trained, we’ll try everything of course because it is a fundamental match, but it’s more no than yes right now, unfortunately,” confessed the Inter assistant manager.

Lamine Yamal tortured Federico Dimarco down that flank in the first leg, so is there any plan to help limit the youngster’s influence at San Siro?

“We’re watching the game back, are studying it, will discuss the situation with Simone and see what we can do,” added Farris.

“It’s also worth noting Lamine Yamal was a joy to watch. We had seen him on video before, but some of his moves were just of another level. We must try to limit him a little and hopefully he won’t be able to play with that same quality again, because the problem is we didn’t even allow him much space.

“He is certainly the future of world football and it’s great to deal with talents like this. We’re studying how to limit him and perhaps put more pressure on him.”

Inter expect same old Barcelona

Inter won the first leg away to Bayern Munich and were held 2-2 in the home fixture for the quarter-final, so what differences do they expect with Barcelona?

“We saw Bayern pressed us non-stop at San Siro for 90 minutes, whereas in the first leg Barcelona gave the impression they were losing some steam in the second half. They try to defend practically in the centre-circle, so if the shape gets a little less tight, then we can take advantage of that.

“This very high line is their approach for the last 52 odd games, it’s possible they could try something else at San Siro, but if they do then it would make the pressing a little less asphyxiating and we could have more of the ball. A lot will depend on how much we manage to keep the ball.”

As for the Scudetto race, the gap remains three points at the top, which means Napoli can afford to draw one of the remaining three rounds and still take the title. Do Inter have any belief left?

“At the moment, it is no longer in our hands. Our duty is to win every game from now until the end and have no regrets, so if Napoli drop the ball, we must be ready to take advantage,” concluded Farris.