LAUTARO MARTINEZ RETURNS FROM TWO-MONTH INJURY LAYOFF TO BLAST INTER NINE POINTS CLEAR
Lautaro Martinez returned from injury to score twice as Inter Milan hammered Roma 5-2 to move nine points clear in Serie A.
Inter Milan took a huge leap toward clinching the Serie A title after hammering Roma 5-2 on Sunday. The win snapped their recent shaky form and pushed them nine points clear at the top.
AC Milan is still close behind, with a tough trip to Napoli. Both teams face a big challenge if they want to stop Inter from grabbing their 21st league trophy.
Lautaro Martinez made his return after almost two months out, and you could tell he made a difference. He scored twice and looked sharp. Marcus Thuram chipped in with his first goal for the club since February. That helped Inter shake off their mini-slump in style.
Before Martinez got injured against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, Inter were picking up points pretty easily. Since then, they’d only managed eight points from five games.
After the game, Martinez said, “Tonight was a big match for us… We had to come out with the right attitude and personality. I’m happy for my teammates, because it was the win we deserved.”
Hakan Calhanoglu smashed in a bending rocket right on halftime, and Nicolo Barella added his second league goal of the season, sealing the victory and hurting Roma’s Champions League chances even more.
Roma’s now sixth in the table, three points behind Como, who play Udinese next. They’re tied with fifth-placed Juventus, who face Genoa at home.
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini summed up the night, saying, “It was a game of two halves. In the first, I saw a lot of good things, even if the final result makes everything look different. Losing in Milan to this Inter team can happen, even if it shouldn’t be by such a margin.”
Inter just look like a different team with Martinez leading the attack. He wasted no time, smashing in a goal from Thuram’s pass barely a minute into the game.
Calhanoglu then blasted one in from 30 meters to put Inter back ahead just as Roma looked like they might go into the break level, thanks to Gianluca Mancini’s header in the 40th minute.
That goal fired up Inter. They stormed back after the break, and within ten minutes, Martinez and Thuram had pretty much killed the match. Martinez calmly put away his 16th league goal in the 52nd minute, again off a pass from Thuram. Not long after, Thuram headed in from Calhanoglu’s corner.
Barella capitalised on sloppy Roma defending just past the hour mark, fighting his way through and burying Inter’s fifth. Lorenzo Pellegrini got one back for Roma in the 70th minute, but by then it hardly mattered.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, Cremonese fell into the relegation zone after losing 2-1 to Bologna, and Pisa moved closer to the drop with a 1-0 home defeat against Torino.
PULISIC HITS BACK: MILAN STAR SHUTS DOWN 2026 GOAL DROUGHT CONCERNS
"I haven't stopped dreaming." Christian Pulisic addresses his goal drought and the frustration of missing out on the Gold Cup squad.
Christian Pulisic isn’t holding back. When critics started questioning his recent form and worried about his 2026 goal drought, he shut them down, calling those concerns “bad questions". The AC Milan forward, fresh off his Time magazine cover, still trusts his ability to step up for the USMNT as they gear up to co-host the World Cup.
All eyes are on him.
The U.S. is set to share the stage for the 2026 World Cup, and Pulisic is set to become the go-to guy for the national team. Landing on the cover of Time isn’t something soccer stars from America get every day, and it just shows how big a deal he’s become, especially after proving himself in Europe. But right as people are finally giving him mainstream recognition, he’s under the microscope for not putting up his usual numbers in front of the goal.
He’s not fazed by the dip.
When Time asked about his goal drought and how he’s handling not scoring for club or country this year, Pulisic didn’t mince words; he’s not sweating it. “I plan on scoring goals. Such bad questions. I’m not concerned about it, man.” You can hear the confidence in his voice.
Dealing with the noise
Pulisic admits this stretch feels extra tough. Missing out on last June’s Gold Cup squad hurt him, mostly because he’s used to shutting people up with his play. “Normally, I just go out there and score, and that quiets everybody. Right now, I’m in my offseason, so everyone’s talking, and I can’t do anything about it. That’s what’s frustrating.”
For Pulisic, attacking is everything. “Going at the goal, creating attacks, that’s what I live for. Sure, you have to do all the other stuff: defend, run, whatever. That’s fine. But what really gives me joy is finding ways to score and actually scoring.”
Chasing the dream
The U.S. opens their World Cup run against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium on June 12, and Pulisic will lead the team right here at home. He doesn’t like making big public predictions, but at 27, he keeps that childhood dream alive. “That’s just not how I work. But I’ll lie in bed and imagine myself holding the World Cup trophy. I did that when I was a kid, and I haven’t stopped. You need to believe. Why not?”
WHY DID LAUTARO MARTINEZ REJECT A CAREER-DEFINING MOVE TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE?
"I love Milan." Read why 28-year-old Lautaro Martinez rejected Manchester United and Arsenal to stay at the San Siro in 2026.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has clearly put an end to any speculation about leaving San Siro, making it known that he has no plans to entertain offers from Europe’s top clubs. Even with regular links to teams like Barcelona, Manchester United, and Arsenal, the Argentine forward is fully committed to what’s happening in Milan.
Martinez has been quite vocal about his dedication to Inter amid constant rumours about his future. Despite frequent connections to some of the biggest clubs on the continent, he insists there’s no reason for him to move on from the current Serie A champions.
Media reports have often tied him to Barcelona, PSG, Arsenal, and Manchester United. But through various transfer windows, Martinez has consistently pushed back on the idea of leaving Inter. At 28, he remains a key figure in the team’s current setup and has stepped up as the club’s captain and on-field leader.
In an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio, Martinez expressed his loyalty to Inter’s project. He made it clear that he isn’t interested in changing clubs despite the speculation.
He said, “No, because I am faithful to the Inter project, I feel at home here. My family is happy, we have a restaurant in the city, and we love Milan. From the first day, everyone treated me in a way I didn’t think possible. I achieved so many personal and team goals here.”
Success on the pitch seems to deepen his connection to the club. Inter recently secured another league title and continues to chase trophies, including the Coppa Italia. On an individual level, Martinez is eyeing the Capocannoniere prize as Serie A’s top scorer. His steady performances underline why he’s considered one of the most reliable forwards in European football.
Since his move from Racing Club in 2018, Martinez has become the defining presence in Inter’s modern lineup. With 173 goals over 372 competitive games, it’s clear how vital he is to the team.
Looking ahead, the club sees Martinez as a central piece in their long-term plans. His leadership and scoring ability make him hard to replace. Settled both on and off the field in Milan, he seems set on continuing his story at the Giuseppe Meazza, despite ongoing interest from Europe’s elite clubs.
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