Spalletti: "A great game and a deserved win"

MILAN - The Nerazzurri’s final match of 2018 at San Siro ended in dramatic fashion as Lautaro Martinez scored in the 92nd minute to secure a massive win. "For me, I saw a strong Inter side from the start to the end," said LucianoSpalletti following the 1-0 win against Napoli. "We deserved to win with the chances that we created, while it’s also true that we could have also lost it if Asamoah hadn’t come to the rescue. It was a great game, played by two teams who displayed good football and moved the ball at speed."

Lautaro Martinez’s goal proved decisive after he came on with seven minutes remaining: "He’s training well and doing what he has to do. In recent games, he could have done better considering his quality but he made the most of his opportunity tonight and was ready for it. I couldn’t have picked him from the start because it would have been difficult to play with a man less in midfield tonight against a side such as Napoli."

As for Joao Mario’s performance: “He knows how to play football and he knows the value of a short pass. Physically and character-wise, he passes the ball cleanly, although at times you need an attitude that is more ‘executive’. He must learn to alternate between these two things, however, he’s a top player."

He then concluded with remarks on Nainggolan’s exclusion: “We all wanted Radja because he has the right characteristics to give something more to our midfield. However, he was left out because he didn’t behave in the right manner and in football, there are rules that must be respected. He was fined, now he’ll rejoin the group and we’ll see if he’ll be available for the game against Empoli.”