Lukaku 'giving excellent signals' after 'problematic period' - Inzaghi

By Sports Desk March 09, 2023

Romelu Lukaku is "giving excellent signals" following a timely return to form, according to Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi.

The Belgium international has scored just four goals for the Nerazzurri since returning on loan from Chelsea last June.

Two of those have come in his last four appearances - including the winner in the first leg of Inter's Champions League last-16 tie with Porto.

The striker is just one goal away from becoming only the fourth player to score 50 times in Serie A and the Premier League, after Gianfranco Zola, Edin Dzeko and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We know his value, he came from a problematic period, and now he is giving excellent signals," Inzaghi said of Lukaku during his press conference ahead of Inter's clash with Spezia on Friday. 

"He trains in the best way every day, he scored an important goal against Porto, and we want him to continue to raise the condition."

Second-placed Inter will be expected to cut the gap to runaway leaders Napoli to 12 points with victory over their 17th-placed opponents, who are just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Nerazzurri saw a six-match unbeaten run ended with defeat at Bologna, but Inzaghi was pleased with his side's response in their routine 2-0 victory over Lecce. 

"We reacted well by having an excellent game against Lecce," he added. "We must continue like this, with this determination, also from tomorrow.

"[It will be] a difficult game, against a team that has a very specific goal for which it is fighting.

"They come from two draws in a row. We will have to interpret the game in the best way, doing simple things."

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    Daniele De Rossi acknowledged his Roma team may be tired, but he insisted they must not allow themselves to be embarrassed. 

    Roma fought back to draw 2-2 with last season's Serie A champions Napoli in a pulsating fixture on Sunday.

    Tammy Abraham's late header secured a point for De Rossi's team, who took the lead through Paulo Dybala's penalty before going behind to goals from Matias Olivera and Victor Osimhen.

    With Serie A set to have five teams in the Champions League next season, Roma occupy fifth spot with four matches remaining, but sixth-placed Atalanta are just two points behind with a game in hand.

    There is also the small matter of a Europa League semi-final against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on the cards over the coming weeks, and De Rossi set the stall out.

    "We drew, it is not a result to throw away, but it is not the result or the performance that we wanted," Roma coach Daniele De Rossi told Sky Sports Italia.

    "At times you can steal the ball off Napoli, but we then gave it back again too many times. Napoli had a lot of chances in the first half, we did better in the second, but we have to do better.

    "Look, we are tired, but we cannot start thinking that we’re tired and that means we can be embarrassed in the final few weeks of the season."

    Roma host Leverkusen on Thursday before taking on Juventus on May 5, with a crunch clash against Atalanta – who are also into the Europa League semi-finals – set to follow after the away leg against Xabi Alonso's team.

    Key to a successful end to the campaign for Roma will be keeping Dybala fit. The Argentine has been involved in the joint-most goals (12) in Serie A since the turn of the year, scoring nine and setting up three, level with Juve's Dusan Vlahovic.

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    The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot a minute before the hour mark, with Paulo Dybala converting after Juan Jesus fouled Sardar Amzoun.

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    Napoli remain eighth in the Serie A table on 50 points, the exact amount they had registered after their opening 19 games of last season.

    Though his penalty was not enough to earn Roma victory, Dybala continued his impressive start to 2024, during which he has been involved in the joint-most goals in Serie A with 12 (nine goals, three assists).

  • Inter's 'leader' Inzaghi upping the standards, says assistant Farris Inter's 'leader' Inzaghi upping the standards, says assistant Farris

    Simone Inzaghi has set and maintained high standards at Inter, so says his Nerazzurri assistant Massimiliano Farris.

    Inter clinched their 20th Serie A title by beating fierce rivals Milan in Monday's derby.

    That meant that Sunday's home meeting with Torino was something of a celebration for Inter and their fans, and the team delivered with a 2-0 victory.

    Hakan Calhanoglu scored both of Inter's goals, and Farris, who spoke to the media instead of his boss, piled the praise on Inzaghi.

    In quotes reported by Football Italia, Farris told DAZN: "We've tried to build a positive environment. We lost important players [last summer], but we welcomed important players who made themselves loved.

    "Going to the pitch and working this season was a pleasure. We had a lot of fun and it's the players' merit.

    "We are Inter, we have great value, and we couldn't afford to lose games like we used to. He's our leader, he kept a high bar in difficult moments.

    "Today, we are repaid for everything, and we can enjoy more of what happened in the previous two years. In football, defeats [hurt] more than victories, but now we must enjoy this moment."

    With victory over Milan, Inzaghi became the second-fastest coach to reach 600 points in Serie A, after Carlo Ancelotti.

    Farris added: "Simone already said it in the previous interviews. We’ve been fighting for every target across the last three years. We have won cups, we reached a Champions League final.

    "We are aware that in the first season, we missed something that we could have taken home [the title].

    "Perhaps it was the price to pay, as staff members, when you get to a club like this, but I think this season's achievements give value to all other trophies.

    "Today's atmosphere was incredible, so good. Ninety minutes and more of celebrations and it was fair to start those who have brought the team here. This doesn't mean the others didn't contribute. On the contrary, everyone was helpful, I should name them all. I wouldn't even call them reserves."

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