The Inter captain picks his words, then drops a name
Twenty-four hours after Kylian Mbappe spent a day setting fires, an opponent stood up and backed him. Real Madrid host Inter Milan at 9pm on Tuesday to open the Champions League league phase, and Lautaro Martinez was asked to size up the hosts.
“We are up against a very strong team, but we have our own strengths and players who prove their level every year,” the Argentina striker said. “The most important thing is to play our best possible match. Kylian Mbappe is one of the best.”
Not exactly incendiary. The timing is what gives it teeth.
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Mbappe arrives off a day he probably wants back
Monday brought two separate rows inside a few hours. The first came in a press conference, where the France forward gave short shrift to the criticism of his defensive work since moving to Spain. The second came in a video interview with L’Equipe, in which he said the Ballon d’Or should have been his.
The 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or landed on Tuesday. So Martinez’s compliment drops into the middle of an argument that Spain and France are still having.
Backing a rival’s status the night before you play him is not how this usually goes.
Familiar faces, thin squad
Marcus Thuram will be on the other side of the same pitch. The two France internationals are close, and the Inter forward sits firmly in Mbappe’s circle.
Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has a problem. Real Madrid listed eight absentees for the visit of the Nerazzurri. Inter turn up at the Bernabeu with a captain in form and no confusion whatsoever about who leads the line.
Kick-off will settle whether any of the pre-match courtesy survives.
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