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Martinez has 'grown to a higher level' for Inter despite Ballon d'Or snub

  /  autty

Lautaro Martinez believes his performances for Inter last season went under the radar after he finished seventh in this year's Ballon d'Or rankings. 

Martinez enjoyed a successful campaign for club and country, helping Inter win their 20th Scudetto title along with guiding Argentina to their Copa America triumph. 

He finished as Serie A's top scorer last season with 24 goals in 33 appearances, eight more than Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic, who finished second in the scoring charts. 

At the start of the campaign, Martinez became the first player in Serie A history to score four goals as a substitute during Inter's 4-0 victory over Salernitana. 

Overall, the Argentine has netted over 100 Serie A goals, and despite being snubbed for the Ballon d'Or, Martinez believed he played an important role for Inter last term. 

"Not just because I was the top scorer in the Copa America and Serie A, but also for the way I played," Martinez said in an interview with Corriere Della Sera. 

After making a vital contribution for Inter, he then starred for Argentina at the Copa America, scoring five goals in six games despite only starting twice. 

"Sometimes, yes. But team trophies have a different weight," Martinez added when asked if his performances last season were underrated.

Martinez has continued where he left off from last season, scoring five league goals in 13 outings for Inter as they sit third in the table, four points behind leaders Napoli. 

The Inter captain will be confident of adding to his tally when his side play Como on Monday. 

He has been involved in 25 goals in his last 24 games against newly promoted teams in Serie A (20 goals and five assists). 

But Martinez credited his impressive form to head coach Simone Inzaghi, believing his game has improved significantly since the Italian took over from Antonio Conte in 2021. 

"I think so [that Inzaghi is underrated]," he conceded. "His secret is that sometimes he still thinks like a player, so he understands us really well and lives things the way we do.

"The luck is double for me because he was a striker, and he knows how to leave me with a clear head and a smile.

"Those are very positive things. I learned a lot from Conte, and I thank him for that. With Inzaghi, I feel like I've grown to an even higher level."

Related: NapoliConte