Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi was satisfied with his side’s 3-3 draw against Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, but injury concerns cast a shadow over the Italian side’s excellent away performance.
Inzaghi’s side have fitness concerns ahead of the return leg next Tuesday, with key players sidelined due to injuries. Benjamin Pavard was already out with an ankle injury, while star striker Lautaro Martinez was unable to return for the second half of Wednesday’s match due to a hamstring issue, Reuters reported.
“Lautaro felt something in his leg and we will know more tomorrow after we run some tests, but it seems extremely unlikely that he can make it to the second leg, which will be a final for us,” Inzaghi told Movistar Plus.
“We hope to have Pavard back next Tuesday, but I don’t think we can expect the same from Lautaro, unfortunately. It will be a final for us and I’m counting on 75,000 of our fans to help us achieve this remarkable accomplishment.”
Dutch fullback Denzel Dumfries, who scored twice on Wednesday, downplayed the fact that Inter squandered a two-goal lead, allowing Barcelona to fight back twice and secure a draw.
He praised his side’s effort, especially after they suffered three consecutive losses in Italy with back-to-back Serie A defeats and a Coppa Italia exit to rivals AC Milan threatening to derail their season.
“I think it was a good game from our side. After some bad results, we saw the real Inter again, playing with heart out there, and I am really proud,” Dumfries told Prime Video.
“Sure, we wanted to win, but it was a good game and a result that leaves the semi-final completely open. We will see at San Siro where everything is possible for us. We are a strong team and we have to prove it every game.”
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