Proving Argentina's Coach Wrong? Inter's €85 Million Star Scores Twice and Nets Winner, Yet Misses World Cup Final

On September 6 Beijing time, a heavyweight clash took place in the third round of Serie A, with Inter hosting Napoli. The Nerazzurri were last season's Serie A champions, while Napoli finished as runners-up. In this match, Inter completed a comeback from 0-2 down to win 3-2, with Lautaro's performance being exceptional. Proving Argentina's coach wrong? Inter's €85 million striker scored twice and added a winner, yet missed the chance to play in the World Cup final.

In the match between Inter and Napoli, neither side scored in the first half, which ended 0-0. In the 50th minute of the second half, Politano took two shots inside the box, with his follow-up effort beating his former club. In the 53rd minute, Hojlund scored with a low shot, leaving Inter 0-2 behind. With the Nerazzurri in a difficult position, Lautaro led the team in launching a comeback.

In the 56th minute, Dimarco sent a cross into the box and Lautaro scored with a sliding finish to pull one back for Inter. In the 82nd minute, Thuram headed in Augusto's cross to make it 2-2. In the 91st minute, the winning moment arrived: during a scramble inside the penalty area, Lautaro reacted quickly and scored, completing Inter's 3-2 comeback victory over Napoli.

With this victory, Inter started the new Serie A season with three straight wins. They have the same nine points as Roma but sit behind them due to goal difference, ranking second in Serie A. Seeing Lautaro perform so well, many Argentina fans were left with lingering disappointment.

Lautaro has a market value of €85 million and is Inter's captain. He has helped Inter win three Serie A titles, reach two Champions League finals, and win the Serie A Golden Boot twice. He was also the top scorer of the previous Copa America, is Argentina's fourth-highest scorer in history, second among active players only behind Messi, and is one of the top strikers in world football today. At the North America World Cup, Lautaro made seven appearances for Argentina, starting four times, scoring three goals and providing one assist. Against Egypt, Lautaro delivered a winning assist; against Switzerland, he scored a goal that sealed victory; and against England, he completed a match-winning goal.

Despite being an Argentina hero in such strong form, Lautaro was left unused in the World Cup final against Spain and did not receive any playing time, eventually watching Argentina lose to Spain and miss out on defending the title. Alvarez was in poor form due to transfer issues, making eight World Cup appearances with five starts and only one goal, while having a quiet performance in the World Cup final.

Indeed, injuries to Lisandro Martinez and Romero, as well as Enzo's red card, affected Scaloni's substitutions. Even so, Lautaro deserved playing time. Although he is a forward, he also contributes significantly defensively and can put pressure on Spain's defense. Given Lautaro's form, he was more deserving of a starting spot than the 'Little Spider'. If Lautaro had played, Argentina's chances of winning the final would have been greater. What do you think?