Mundo Deportivo reported that Inter are evading the possibility of Lautaro Martinez participating in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, and that the Italian club is practicing “Mourinho’s Tricks.”
Lautaro left the first leg at the Estadio Olimpico Luis Companys with a muscle injury, and after the match, Simone Inzaghi said the Argentine star was unlikely to make it to the second leg next Tuesday.
Italian press reports indicated that Lautaro would not participate in the second leg, before news emerged in the past hours that the player could play and that the rumours were merely a way to distract Barcelona and coach Hansi Flick.
Mourinho’s Tricks: Inter’s Way to Beat Barcelona
Inter’s actions are considered to be a psychological tactic employed by the Nerazzurri’s legendary coach, José Mourinho, on more than one previous occasion in the Champions League.
During the “Special One’s” first spell at Chelsea, he announced in a press conference that Damien Duff would miss the match against Barcelona due to injury, before surprising everyone during the match by starting the player.
Mourinho wasn’t the only one playing this game against Barcelona. Arsène Wenger did the same in 2010, announcing Robin van Persie’s absence and then fielding him normally.
Lautaro Martinez is ready for the Barcelona match
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lautaro’s absence is uncertain, and he likely has a chance of playing for part of the match against Barcelona, contrary to reports that he is completely out of the running.
In principle, coach Simone Inzaghi intends to include him in the squad for the Barça match, keeping him on the bench and introducing him at the appropriate moment.
Mehdi Taremi is expected to start alongside Marcus Thuram in Lautaro’s absence, with “Lautaro” being a second-half substitute if things get tense.
It’s worth noting that the first leg ended in a 3-3 draw, meaning one of the two heavyweights must win in Italy to advance to the final, where they will face the winner of the Paris Saint-Germain-Arsenal match at the Allianz Arena.
