Chivu benches Lautaro: a bold call in Inter Milan’s derby defeat

Lautaro Martinez substituted again after another tough night

The captain, caught on an off night, was substituted by the Inter Milan coach.

Six derbies without a win and a third direct clash lost at the start of this league season (Juve, Napoli, Milan). 

Inter Milan played a good match but failed to capitalise on the many chances created. Even Lautaro Martínez had an off night, to the point that Cristian Chivu decided to remove the Inter Milan captain — a bold choice.

“At a certain point Cristian Chivu said ‘enough, out Lautaro and in Bonny’. For the second time this season the captain was substituted in a big match. 

From Juve to Milan, from the Allianz Stadium to San Siro. The same move two months apart. The thread linking the two Inter Milan defeats is the recall to the bench of their number 10. Chivu, however, preferred the Frenchman for the final half-hour push,” highlights La Gazzetta dello Sport via Fcinter1908.

Thuram’s impact and Calhanoglu’s miss mark turning point

“A choice that did not go unnoticed and that, all things considered, had also paid off. Ten minutes later Thuram, who stayed on the pitch instead of the Argentine, earned a penalty thanks to Pavlovic’s stamp (given after a VAR check). 

Had Calhanoglu scored, it would have been a different match. But the Turkish playmaker missed his second penalty with Inter Milan out of 29 attempts.

Lautaro, in any case, left the field with his head down. Even against Juve he had been substituted after about an hour — give or take two minutes: 64' at the Allianz and 66' against Milan — but two months ago he was coming off 90 minutes played in Barranquilla against Colombia just three days earlier, plus the usual intercontinental trip right before the league match. 

A conservative choice, therefore. This time, however, the national-team workload was light: just 85 minutes played in the 2–0 win over Angola on November 14, nine days ago. A technical choice now.”