Lautaro Martinez’s inspiring message to his wife ahead of Inter Milan’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Barcelona has been revealed. The Catalans locked horns with the Serie A giants on Tuesday (May 6) at the San Siro.
The tie was evenly poised at 3-3, but Martinez was doubtful for the game after picking up a muscle injury in the first leg. However, the 27-year-old shook off the knock to take to the field on Tuesday and turned out to be one of the deciding factors in the game.
Martinez opened the scoring for Inter Milan in the 21st minute and won a decisive penalty at the stroke of half-time, which was converted by Hakan Calhanoglu. The Nerazzurri ultimately saw off a spirited Barcelona side to win the game 4-3 after extra time.
Martinez featured for 71 minutes before he was replaced by Mehdi Taremi. It is now believed that the Argentine played through the pain barrier to help Inter reach the Champions League final.
In a message to his wife, Agustina Gandolfo, before the game, Martinez promised to fight as long as possible. He wrote (as cited by All About Argentina’s X handle):
Lautaro Martinez has registered 22 goals and seven assists from 48 games across competitions for the Nerazzurri this season. Inter Milan will play their second Champions League final in three years later this month at the Allianz Arena against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Barcelona have won the Champions League five times, and have been the losing finalists on three other occasions. The Catalans first won the Premier European club competition in 1992, when they got the better of Sampdoria at Wembley.
It was the LaLiga giants’ first European trophy, and they won their second title in 2006, after defeating Arsenal in the final. Barcelona were back in the final in 2009, when they faced Manchester United in Rome.
The Catalans defeated their Premier League counterparts 2-0 to lift their third title. The two teams met again two years later at Wembley, and the Red Devils lost 3-1.
The LaLiga giants next reached the final in the 2014-15 campaign, where they dismantled Juventus 3-1. Unfortunately, it was the last time that Barcelona would reach a Champions League final. The Catalans also finished runners-up in 1961, 1986, and 1994.
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