Former Italian striker Christian Vieri picks Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram over Mateo Retegui and Ademola Lookman and insists Inter have all it takes to win the Champions League despite his recent prediction on CBS.
Inter and Atalanta meet in a crucial Serie A game on Sunday. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men are just three points below the leaders and defending champions.
“After this, there are nine more matches, right? It’s not absolutely, absolutely, absolutely decisive, but it’s extremely important, Vieri told Gazzetta.
“The title race isn’t just between two teams, and Napoli are playing away at Venezia.
“If Atalanta win, those would be three very, very heavy points, even for Napoli.”
Inter are the only Serie A club still involved in three competitions, but Vieri predicted on CBS earlier this week that they would not reach the Champions League Final.
“On TV, I said the Barça-PSG final because I don’t want to jinx Inter, and if I say Inter, I’ll jinx them,” he explained.
“But now I can say it. Inter have everything to win both the league and the Champions League. They have two real players, not just decent ones, for each position, and not every club in Europe has such a deep squad.”
Vieri picks Luataro and Thuram over Lookman and Retegui and clarifies CBS prediction
Who would he pick between Lautaro and Thuram and Lookman and Retegui?
“That’s a tough one. After a deep breath, I’d say Lautaro and Thuram,” Vieri replied.
“They have more international experience and they’ve been playing at a high level for longer, even with their national teams. They’ve been ready for a few years now.”
What’s his take on Lautaro?
“Some losers thought he was in a crisis, and then from January, he’s scored 10 goals, including five in his last three Champions League games, just to give you an idea of his level.”
And how about Lookman?
“You watch him and think, ‘Oh, let’s see what he does now.’ There’s no one like him in Serie A: every time he gets the ball, he goes one-on-one, always. He’s fast and strong; he takes players on, dribbles, and shoots. Left foot or right foot, it doesn’t matter.”
But what if Gasperini had said Vieri was one of the worst penalty kick tackers he had ever seen?
“He couldn’t have, because it wasn’t true,” said the ex-striker.
“I always say that you should take a penalty if you feel like it. And if a teammate comes over and says, ‘I feel it,’ it’s fair to let him. The only ones who miss penalties are those who take them, and if you miss once, so be it.”
