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The 27-year-old Martinez scored Inter’s opener and won the penalty from which Hakan Calhanoglu netted their second on Tuesday night in the second leg of the semi-final.
Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez (AP)
When the stakes are high, the emotions run higher. It sure did for Lautaro Martinez, who, on Tuesday, admitted that he was brought to tears by the hamstring injury, which nearly kept him out of Inter Milan’s Champions League decider with Barcelona.
Inter captain Martinez almost didn’t play at the San Siro after being injured in last week’s first leg, drawn 3-3 in Catalonia, but recovered to start another thrilling match which ended with the Italians winning 7-6 on aggregate.
The 27-year-old scored Inter’s opener and won the penalty from which Hakan Calhanoglu netted their second on the night.
But, the Nerazzuri’s two-goal half-time lead ended up being eaten up by the wily Barcelona, who took the unprecedented lead again at 3-2.
But, a last-minute Hail Mary from Francesco Acerbi and an extra-time winner from Davide Frattesi secured Inter the win in an enthralling tie.
“The first two days I just sat at home crying, but we did great work with the staff and I managed to recover,” Martinez told Sky Sport.
“You’ve got to give your all in these games. I promised my family that I would get on the pitch today.”
Martinez’s influence has been undeniable as the leading scorer for the Nerazzuri this season with 22 goals in all competitions, nine of which have come in the Champions League.
The Argentine paid his respects to the club and their staff, who helped him get match-fit in time for the thrilling semi-final, and remained humble about the job at hand: winning the final.
“I am so proud of Inter Milan. I wasn’t in a great place and I wasn’t 100% today, but the medical staff worked so hard to get me match fit.
“We will do what we can — we just have one more step to go. We want to go there and win it. We will do all we can to ensure that we get Inter Milan to the high summit of European football,” stated Martinez to Amazon Prime, with his Italian club one win away from a fourth continental crown.
Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the final, which will be played in Munich on May 31.
(with agency inputs)
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