Lautaro: Champions League a key objective for Inter, Messi's time at the top was bound to end

Lautaro Martinez believes that winning the Champions League is a realistic objective for Inter, says that he and his teammates will have to be at the top of their game to get past Real Madrid and has also responded to questions on his international colleagues Lionel Messi and Julian Alvzrez.

Lautaro Martinez pre-match assessment ahead of Real Madrid vs. Inter Martinez and his Nerazzurri teammates are gearing up to take on Real Madrid in their first match of the new 2026-27 Champions League campaign, which will be played at the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening.

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) The Inter captain sat down to give his pre-match assessments alongside head coach Cristian Chivu in a press conference shortly after the team’s arrival in the Spanish capital.

As is typically the case, the hosts, Madrid, completed their media duties first. Kylian Mbappe, a self-professed Milan fan, says that Inter are a side that deserves respect and that Lautaro is among the greatest centre-forwards on the planet.

Asked for his response, Lautaro said: “I’ve heard what he had to say. We’ll be up against a team with lots of champions, but we have our own weapons and players who prove that they are at a top level year after year.

“We’ve prepared well, we’ve recovered our energy. We know who we’re playing against and Mbappe is definitely one of the best strikers in the world.”

Collectively, Inter have often performed well against some of the biggest teams in Europe. Their 2024-25 Champions League campaign saw them defeat a flying Barcelona and a Bayern Munich side that were among the pre-tournament favourites to go all the way.

So, how do they do it?

“It depends on the teams we have to face. We adjust ourselves according to the opposition,” Lautaro said. “It’s normal to have to comply with what the coach asks of you.”

MILAN, ITALY – MAY 06: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale is challenged by Pau Cubarsi of FC Barcelona which results in referee Szymon Marciniak (not pictured) awarding a penalty to FC Internazionale during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FC Barcelona at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 06, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) By their recent standards, a round of 16 exit last season was considered a massive disappointment.

“We were knocked out early last year, but it’s important to learn from your mistakes. I expect to do my best and take Inter as far as possible this year.”

Despite Inter’s strong collective track record against the big sides in Europe, talisman Martinez does not boast the most impressive of goalscoring records in these sorts of matches. He did manage to get himself on the scoresheet in Inter’s most recent ‘big’ Serie A match against Napoli over the weekend, though.

“The most important thing is that Inter wins. I’ve heard all the talk, but I scored a lot of important goals before Saturday. I’m focused on teamwork, that’s what I’ve always tried to do. The group is more important than the individual.

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with fans and teammates during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) “It was an important victory against Napoli, but there’s still a long, long way to go.”

Lautaro was asked if winning the Champions League is a genuine target for Inter this season, or whether it is more of a dream.

“It’s an objective,” Lauutaro insisted. “We all have dreams, but this is more than just an obsession. We have to stay calm, we know that there are a lot of strong teams out there. It’s definitely a goal for us. Ever since I first came here, I’ve repeated that we have to work hard to deliver as many trophies as possible for Inter.”

Asked for his thoughts on Madrid and former Inter head coach Jose Mourinho, Martinez said: “It’s a difficult question because I wasn’t at Inter at the time. He definitely deserves a lot of respect for what he achieved with Inter, but we’re focused on the present and wanting to do our best against Madrid.”

Spanish journalists also asked for Martinez’s thoughts on the current situation that Julian Alvarez finds himself in at Atletico Madrid.

He said: “Alvarez is a friend of mine. It’s not an easy moment for him, but the decision was made by the President of his club. I hope he continues to show the level that he always has.”

Lastly, El Toro was asked for his reaction to the recent news of Lionel Messi’s international retirement.

He said: “We all knew the time would come. It was a major bit of news given what Leo means to the team and to all of us. I will take everything he taught us with me.”