Romelu Lukaku has been criticized in the past for his performance in big games.
This time he silenced all the critics with a splendid performance in the Milan Derby. The Belgian started the match with Martinez’s early assist before sealing it with the game’s third goal after a brilliant solo run. The tone of the match was set around Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Both forwards were involved in a brawl when the sides met a few weeks ago.
There were paintings of the incident around Milan ahead of the derby. It brought back memories of the fierce team rivalry between the two clubs. Both Milan teams occupied the two spots on the table, fighting for crowned champions at the end of the season. A situation that has not happened in over a decade as Juventus have dominated. Lukaku wasted no time showing Zlatan who the King of Milan is – as he turned up the heat on the fourth minute by driving the ball through the opposition midfield before picking up Martinez with a cross for the first goal.
The Belgian was everything Inter wanted from their forward in the game. He held up play perfectly, made runs to disrupt the Milan defense. Won several Aerial duels and set the tempo despite being a forward. He started the devastating counter-attack that resulted in the second goal before adding the third himself. His goal was all about him, as he picked up the ball on the halfway line and made a solo run before unleashing a well-placed shot past the goalkeeper. A goal that drew applause from Zlatan himself.
He has now scored in every Milan derby since he joined Inter in 2019. Inter are four points clear at the top, and the large chunk of the credit should go to Romelu Lukaku.
The king of Milan… All hail, the King!
