Inzaghi drops Lautaro hint, reveals ‘almost impossible’ thing Inter need to stop Yamal | OneFootball

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi hints that Lautaro Martinez will either start or not be available at all for Inter, while the Nerazzurri will need to prevent Lamine Yamal from getting the ball at San Siro: ‘But it’s almost impossible in modern football.’

The Nerazzurri coach answered questions from the media on Monday, on the eve of a Champions League semifinal second leg against Barcelona.

Inzaghi had already spoken to Sky Sport Italia, revealing that Lautaro Martinez would partially train with the team today.

The Argentine sustained a muscle injury during last week’s game in Spain.

Inzaghi faced more questions about the Inter captain’s availability during a press conference.

A reporter asked the Italian tactician whether Lautaro could be available as a substitute, but Inzaghi replied (via TMW): “It depends on how he feels. A player who can’t start the game is unlikely to help much in the final minutes. His sensations will tell us everything. Unfortunately, we’ve had many setbacks this season, but we know we have a well-equipped squad. We’ll have a light training session tomorrow, and that’s when I’ll make my decisions, always trying to do what’s best for Inter, as I’ve always done over the years.”

Barcelona, on the other hand, have already announced that Robert Lewandowski will be available tomorrow after missing the first leg last week.

“We know him well. I consider him among the top three or four strikers in the world. But we saw Ferran Torres in the first leg,” said Inzaghi.

“Barcelona scored 15 goals in the opening matches without Lewandowski. It’s a top team, we watch them all closely.”

The Catalans will be forced to cope without Jules Koundé.

“He’s an excellent player, but he probably paid a price for the number of matches he’s played. I read he played 102 or 104 consecutive games,” Inzaghi said.

Inzaghi reveals what Inter need to stop Yamal

BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 30: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between FC Barcelona and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on April 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

“He’s an important player, but Garcia did an excellent job on Sunday. Barcelona have substitutes at Koundé’s level.”

Lamine Yamal played a starring role in Barcelona last week, so how can Inter stop him?

“It’s difficult, we’ll try to prevent him from getting the ball, although it’s almost impossible in modern football. He’ll be marked closely, he’ll get doubled up on, and we’ll try to be careful,” said Inzaghi.

“As I said after the first leg, seeing him live, he’s an extraordinary talent. His incredibly dangerous at his age. They give him the ball in tough moments, and I was impressed by his speed of thought. When he gets the ball, he already knows what he’s going to do next.

“Barcelona have 81% possession in the league and 76% in the Champions League,” Inzaghi continued.

“We know their quality and that they take risks in defence, but it’s a well-calculated risk from an excellent coach like Flick, whom I greatly respect. They are the most prolific team in the world and are competing for two more titles after winning two already.

“We’ll see whether to make tactical changes. The system is well-tested, and this time we play at home. Barcelona’s stats don’t change much whether they play at home or away. We played a great game in Montjuic, even if there were moments where we could have done better. When you win, it’s even easier to analyse and improve.”