Romelu Lukaku made an immediate impact on his Inter return as Simone Inzaghi’s side booked their spot in the Champions League Round of 16.
The Nerazzurri cruised to an important 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen last night, a result that has confirmed their participation in the knock-out stages of the competition at the expense of Xavi’s Barcelona. Inzaghi has now managed to guide Inter to the Round of 16 of the Champions League in both of his years in charge of the squad, an impressive and economically important result.
La Gazzetta dello Sport lauded Lukaku’s work on his return for Inter, noting how “he took just four minutes to put his signature on this night. He took back San Siro, a stadium that was waiting for nothing more, sorry for the delay, he seems to whisper.” Corriere dello Sport agreed in their praise for the Belgian, commentating that “Five minutes were enough for him to bother the net after two months of absence.”
Inzaghi was also praised by the Italian press for his ability to right the ship in the Lombardy capital and guide the club to back-to-back Champions League Round of 16s. La Gazzetta dello Sport pointed to the visible happiness on display of the Nerazzurri squad, saying “technical superiority confirmed by a linear performance, never on the edge of anxiety even at 0-0. Inter have been enjoying themselves for a while now.”
Corriere dello Sport echoed this sentiment when discussing the Italian coach, suggesting that “he spreads the word of the disqualified Inzaghi and leads the ship safely to the round of 16. Good plots in tight spaces.”
Lukaku’s ratings in the Italian newspapers
La Gazzetta dello Sport: 7
Corriere dello Sport: 7
Tuttosport: 7
Inzaghi’s ratings in the Italian newspapers
La Gazzetta dello Sport: 7.5
Corriere dello Sport: 7.5
Tuttosport: 7.5