(Reuters) – Simone Inzaghi criticised Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku for a string of missed chances, with the manager facing mounting pressure following his team’s failure to win any of their last six matches in all competitions as they head into Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Benfica.
The Belgian missed clear scoring opportunities during the club’s 1-0 defeat by Fiorentina and 1-1 draw with lowly Salernitana over the past 10 days in Serie A, costing the team crucial points in their bid to secure a top four finish.
The poor run has left many believing that Inzaghi’s days with the club are numbered and he appeared to blame Lukaku for Inter’s predicament as they are now fifth in the Serie A standings with nine games left.
On the eve of the their quarter-final first leg against Benfica, when Inzaghi was asked about Lukaku’s most recent miss against Salernitana, he said: “I wouldn’t just stop with Salernitana, I would also think about the (missed) chance against Fiorentina.
“Those games gave us two results that weren’t what we had envisaged. Those who write and those who talk a lot are influenced by the results but you have to be clear-headed.”
After such a lean spell on the domestic front, reaching the Champions League semi-final would ease the pressure on Inzaghi.
“Tomorrow we know it won’t be easy against a strong, quality opponent but we know that together – and I think this is the word to use in the next two months – we can come away satisfied,” said Inzaghi.
“The goal was to still be in all competitions in April. We are lacking in the league, but we have the chance to fight back,” added the manager, whose side are still alive in the Coppa Italia.
They are locked at 1-1 following the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Juventus.
Inzaghi said that midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and defender Milan Skriniar were ruled out of the first leg tie against Benfica since they had yet to recover from their injuries.
“They are two very important players, clearly there will also be some Benfica absences. I would have liked to play it with the two full teams,” Inzaghi said, adding that he hoped that Calhanoglu would be ready for the next league match against Monza on Saturday.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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