Inter attacker Joaquin Correa had gone 172 days without scoring a goal in a competitive game – but his drought finished when he scored a sublime goal to make it 3-1 against Benfica in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final game on Wednesday night. On the night, it ended 3-3 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, but Inter qualified courtesy of their 2-0 success in Lisbon. The 28-year-old forward was subjected to boos, whistles and insults in recent weeks because of his perceived lack of effort. But when he hit the net for the first time since 29 October and the Serie A win over poor Sampdoria, the former Lazio man put a finger in his ear as if to say, “I don’t hear you”. Was he a bit over the line in trying to get one back at the public at Meazza?”Was it a conversational celebration? No, absolutely not. I saw my family who always accompanied me, so the goal was for them. The goal meant a lot to me because of the recent run of form and all the noise around me. It’s also nice to see Lautaro scored because strikers only smile when they find the back of the net.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7190623##To change the public’s opinion of his Inter career, Correa will have to play other matches like the one against Benfica. The man who cost Inter $26 million last July wants to reassure everyone who doubted him. “It was very important to reach the semifinal. Indeed, it was a dream, and we deserved it. We were a little disappointed in the dressing room with the two goals we conceded in the final stages, but we made it through. We want to focus on the league again and get some wins because we’re a little behind in the standings.”LO-CU-RA 🤯Lautaro MARTINEZ y Joaquín CORREA son los primeros argentinos🇦🇷 en los ÚLTIMOS 60 AÑOS que convierten en un mismo partido y para el mismo equipo (Inter🇮🇹) que gana la serie en 4tos, semis o final de Champions League👉Antes: Di Stéfano y Rial (Real Madrid🇪🇦) en 1959 pic.twitter.com/T6iM9jAC8J— Gastón Trucco (@gastontr16) April 19, 2023 Indeed, Simone Inzaghi’s team has gone five games without winning in Serie A. They will travel to Empoli on Sunday to finally break the poor run. Beating the team from Tuscany now seems a bit more likely than a couple of days ago. That’s what reaching the UEFA Champions League last four can do for a team’s confidence. “We’re happy because the squad is giving everything and has finally seen a result over two legs against Benfica. Things haven’t been great in the championship, but if we find a way to translate our European form to Serie A, then we will do many good things over the next month and a half. And why not, we can dream of lifting the Champions League trophy in Istanbul.”
