Inter-Atalanta, signals from Lukaku for Inzaghi: now he is missing the goal

Everyone was waiting for an evening like yesterday. Him first. Especially in the second half of the match against Atalanta, Lukaku returned to being a “factor”. As in the year of Conte’s championship and in the previous season, that of 34 goals, his personal record. Twenty-five minutes of excellent thickness against the Goddess, after a so-so first half, are not enough to sing victory, to say that Big Rom is completely recovered. He is the first to know that there is a long way to go and that the physical condition must grow a lot. However, the signal sent in front of Gasperini’s men was an important one. When the team gave up on long balls and served him… “ball at him”, while the Belgian took a position on the edge of the area as a basketball pivot, the… lights went back on at San Siro. And Romelu has returned to being the beacon of the game, the bank for various dangerous actions: he spoke with Barella and Lautaro, from a physical point of view he put Scalvini and Djimsiti in one against one and in the second half he transformed the grunts that all At the interval they had accompanied him to the dressing rooms.

TO BE ALIVE

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Lukaku hadn’t played in the starting lineup since 4 January or since another 1-0 success, the one against leaders Napoli. He had a lot of rust on him because a few days after the affirmation with the Neapolitans he had to stop due to inflammation in his left knee. Just when he thought he’d put the long stop caused by the double muscle problem in his left thigh behind him. Inside himself the big boy from Antwerp suffered a lot, but last night he saw the light again. He will have definitely come out of the tunnel by the time he scores again, a satisfaction he hasn’t savored since October 26 (4-0 in the Champions League at Viktoria Plzen). After that joy came the second injury to the flexor and a World Cup, bruised, all to forget. Heavy blows for his mood that the closest people have tried in every way to raise in the delicate moments of this 2022-23. Inter never stopped believing in him and CEO Beppe Marotta’s words yesterday before the match confirmed it: “It’s not 100% but from the point of view of professionalism, commitment and motivation it is unassailable. These are characteristics that we have evaluated and which lead to a positive evaluation of the boy in view of the future. The hope is that the Lukaku we all know will return.” Not even Inzaghi has stopped believing in the centre-forward who he wanted at all costs at Pinetina or has ever thought of building an Inter that did not include the presence of Big Rom. In the interval last night he shook him, asked him to be more alive, to be found on the edge of the air and at the same time ordered his teammates to look for him with the ball on the ground. So the “music” in the second half changed: Inter were more incisive in their attacks and put the defense of the Goddess to the test by focusing on its… heavyweight.

WHAT THEY MISS

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The twenty-five minutes of moderate level shown before leaving increased the regrets for what could have been and has not been (so far) the season of the number 90. Inter paid 7.6 million, plus 5 in bonuses, his loan to Chelsea because she was (and is) convinced that Big Rom can shift the balance of Serie A. The problem is that so far she has almost never been able to count on it and that even now the Belgian cannot be considered 100%. It is evident that his movements are not loose, that the shot is not that of the golden days. Inzaghi cannot think of making him a starter on Sunday in the derby because he knows that his centre-forward must be managed carefully, but he has rediscovered a key element with a view to the Champions League (on the 22nd, the round of 16 first leg against Porto): well – admitted the technician from Emilia – and I’m happy with how I see him work. The more time passes, the better he gets.” Words that for Romelu will be like petrol in the morale tank. To really get back to himself now he needs to score and above all to play consistently. We are already in February, but there are four “full” months on the calendar of a season in which Lukaku may have found the thread. From these 120 days many things can arise, such as confirmation with the Nerazzurri shirt and the definitive return to great levels after the negative experience with the Blues, injuries and a nightmare World Cup. Number 90 feels that finally his moment is about to return and now he only wishes he would never have to stop. All that is asked of Lady Luck. He’ll take care of the rest. Like in the golden days when he overwhelmed his opponents like bowling pins and was the Nerazzurri Superman.