Lautaro nets twice in Inter opening friendly

Lautaro Martinez scored twice with Romelu Lukaku and Kristian Asllani impressing in Inter’s 4-1 pre-season friendly victory over FC Lugano, but Andre Onana had a mixed debut.

The Nerazzurri had their first run-out for the 2022-23 campaign in Switzerland, as is tradition, just across the border from Italy.

Coach Simone Inzaghi started Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez together to reform the Lu-La partnership after a year apart and they picked up right where they left off.

Just like last season, the first goal was scored by Danilo D’Ambrosio, nodding in the corner from debutant Asllani.

Lautaro Martinez tapped in following a howler from the Lugano goalkeeper that was very reminiscent of Ionut Radu’s error against Bologna.

Joaquin Correa made it 3-0 on the hour mark, running into space created by Lukaku’s movement and nutmegging a defender.

Onana came on for the second half and the goalkeeper had a mixed debut, as his long ball sparked the second Lautaro Martinez goal, on a Correa assist, but he was also static on the Casciato goal for Lugano.

Lugano 1-4 Inter

D’Ambrosio 3 (I), Lautaro Martinez 16, 72 (I), Correa 61 (I), Casciato 82 (L)

Inter: Handanovic (Onana 46); D’Ambrosio (Hoti 76), Fontanarosa (Sottini 76), Darmian (Silvestro 87); Bellanova (Lazaro 46), Asllani (Sangalli 87), Agoumé (Carboni 87), Mkhitaryan (Correa 46), Gosens (Zanotti 66); Lukaku (Casadei 66), Lautaro Martinez (Salcedo 76)