Lautaro Martinez’s first-half strike sealed a 1-0 win for Inter over Sparta Prague within the Champions League on Wednesday, holding them on target for a top-eight spot.
The guests bounced again from their defeat to Bayer Leverkusen final day trip within the competitors, shifting as much as fourth within the desk.
Martinez volleyed residence on the again submit from the tightest of angles within the twelfth minute, connecting with Alessandro Bastoni’s cross. The ball bounced up and in off the underside of the crossbar, giving Peter Vindahl no likelihood.
The house aspect, who are actually out of rivalry for a play-offs place, provided little in the best way of a purpose menace, falling to a fifth consecutive defeat within the competitors.
Regardless of Sparta’s second-half enchancment, they virtually fell to a bigger defeat as Denzel Dumfries neatly tucked the ball into the again of the online, just for it to be disallowed for offside following a VAR overview.
After holding a sixth clear sheet within the competitors, Inter can trust going into their closing fixture, the place they will seal their computerized spherical of 16 place at residence to Monaco subsequent week.
Prague conquered
The three factors are ours #ForzaInter #UCL #SpartaPragaInter pic.twitter.com/j2CXKWtO2I— Inter (@Inter_en) January 22, 2025
Knowledge Debrief: Martinez to the rescue
Inter weren’t fairly at their greatest within the closing third on Wednesday, however they did sufficient to get the three factors on the board.
They managed simply 0.87 anticipated targets towards Sparta from 12 pictures, with Martinez answerable for 0.37 of that. He additionally had essentially the most pictures (4) and pictures heading in the right direction (three) of any participant on the pitch.
It was an essential milestone for Martinez although, as he netted for the 14th time within the competitors – he’s now Inter’s joint-best goalscorer within the Champions League, degree with Adriano.
That is the fifth consecutive Champions League recreation that Inter have performed that has completed 1-0 (W4 D1). Solely two different groups within the historical past of the competitors have ever endured the identical such run (Juventus in 2004-05 – W5 and Maccabi Haifa in 2009-10 – L5).