1978 World Cup winner Daniel Bertoni praised Inter striker Lautaro Martinez and suggested that he’s an important part of the Argentina squad.
The 25-year-old Nerazzurri forward has had a quiet tournament at the World Cup in Qatar, failing to contribute to a single goal across his five appearances. Lautaro did score in their opening game against Saudi Arabia but it was ruled out for offside, frustrating the player and leaving him empty-handed. He scored the decisive penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out with the Netherlands.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bertoni discussed Lautaro’s work at the World Cup in Qatar and why he’s important to the Argentina squad.
“That penalty weighed so much, and he showed character. He is a born goal scorer, he lives on goals. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in but then when he pops the cap everything comes by itself.
“I hope that will be the case this time as well. He will be useful even though Julian Alvarez’s presence is important for the way the team plays.
“Someone said that because of the way he moves he is the ‘Bertoni of 2022’, I like the definition.”
The 25-year-old Lautaro has shown glimpses of his quality this season under Simone Inzaghi, scoring eight goals and providing six assists in 21 appearances across all competitions.
He formed a formidable partnership with Romelu Lukaku in the past and the Belgian’s return to the pitch may help him be more decisive in the second half of the season.