By scoring a brace against Lazio last Sunday (3-1), Romelu Lukaku killed two birds with one stone. He took first place in the Serie A scorers’ standings, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo, but above all he propelled his team, Inter, to the top of the Italian league. In the face and beard of the neighbor, AC Milan, which he faces this weekend.
“I am in the top 5”
Arrived in the Lombard capital 18 months ago, the powerful Belgian striker has established himself as one of the sure values of the championship. But not only. Today, Romelu Lukaku is one of the world references for his post. “Over the past few months, I am in the top 5”, he claimed, last December, in an interview with the magazine France Football.
His last two achievements have allowed him to reach a symbolic bar: that of 300 career goals, for an average of over one goal every two matches. Beyond the statistics, it is its evolution that is impressive. “I’m not surprised by its trajectory, testifies Marc-Antoine Fortuné, who rubbed shoulders with young Romelu at West Brom (2012-2013), when the latter was on loan from Chelsea. His potential was already visible even though he had some shortcomings. Mentally, he’s someone with a well-defined plan. He knew what had to be done to get there. “
“The Italian championship made him smarter in his game”
The Belgian has sometimes returned the image of a clumsy player. A beautiful baby of 1.90 m, a ball of muscles not always very comfortable technically. “He was very raw when he started, remembers Sacha Tavolieri, Belgian journalist who collaborates in particular for RMC Sport. In England, he tried a lot to play on his physique. He saw that he was more powerful than the others so he used it. In Italy, he rationalized it all. “ Today, if his physical domination is still striking, Romelu Lukaku has learned to make a difference in another way.
“The Italian championship allowed him to become smarter in the game, in his movements, in his positioning”, lists Sacha Tavolieri. A complete panoply that could have allowed Inter to win their first title for nine years at the end of last season: unleashed in the European Cup, the native of Antwerp scored at least one goal in each meeting from the round of 16 of the Europa League. In the final, against Sevilla, he opened the scoring at the very start of the game on a penalty that he himself had caused. Unfortunately for him, the rest of the story will be less beautiful. By deflecting a Diego Carlos kickback, he scored against his own camp and despite himself offered the trophy to the Andalusians (3-2).
Not the type to let down Big Rom’started again. In 34 games this season (club and selection), he has scored 27 goals! But despite the high standards of their Belgian striker, Inter are having a mixed season. Last of its group in the Champions League and eliminated from the Italian Cup in the semi-finals, the Milan club only has the championship to avoid a tenth consecutive white season.
Reunion with Ibrahimovic
The poster for this Sunday, against AC Milan, is the perfect opportunity to strike a blow. Carpet in the shadows since the start of the season, Antonio Conte’s players have waited for a little moment of weakness from the neighbor to spring up and steal the leader’s place from him, one point ahead. Scorer in every derby since his arrival in Italy, Romelu Lukaku will once again be the number one weapon of the Nerazzurri. No doubt the whole world will scrutinize his reunion with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Last month, the two former Manchester United team-mates broke apart at half-time in an Italian Cup meeting. Faced with provocations from the Swede, the Belgian had fallen off his hinges and had stuck his forehead against that of his opponent. Author of the equalizer in the second half, a few minutes after the (severe) expulsion of Ibrahimovic for a second yellow card, Lukaku emerged victorious from this psychological war and Inter had won the meeting (2-1). “When he came to West Brom there was some friction in training with some players. He is someone who does not let himself be stepped on ”, remembers Marc-Antoine Fortuné. Bis repetita Sunday?
–
–
