The criticisms surrounding Romelu Lukaku's performance in the UEFA Champions League final in the 2022/23 season are unjust. After coming on as a substitute for Edin Dzeko in the second half, Lukaku emerged as the standout player in Inter's attack, registering three shots on target against Manchester City.
Lukaku became the subject of ridicule, labeled as a "wooden-footed" player. Some even referred to him as a "defender" due to an unfortunate positioning incident that disrupted Federico Dimarco's shot. But is Lukaku deserving of such treatment? Have fans been too harsh on the 30-year-old striker? In reality, Lukaku made a strong effort on the pitch after coming on as a substitute and was the most prominent player in Inter's lineup.
Lukaku entered the field in the 57th minute, replacing Dzeko. Looking at the performance of the starting striker duo, Dzeko was virtually invisible on the pitch until he was substituted. The Bosnian striker had minimal involvement, touching the ball only 13 times, and managed just one shot on target against Man City goalkeeper Ederson. It was a disappointing performance from the 37-year-old veteran.
What about Lautaro Martinez? The striker who scored a brace against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final didn't fare any better. Despite playing the full match, the Argentine international had only 37 touches and two shots on target against Man City. However, neither of his attempts troubled goalkeeper Ederson.
In comparison, Lukaku's individual performance surpassed both Dzeko and Martinez combined in terms of shots on target. Despite playing only around 40 minutes, the Belgian star produced three shots, two of which forced Ederson to make impressive saves.
The most threatening opportunity created by Inter towards Man City's goal also came from Lukaku's goal-scoring effort. It was a situation where Lukaku chose the right position to meet Robin Gosens' cross. In an empty space about 5 meters from the goal line, he headed the ball, which unfortunately hit Ederson's knee.
Clearly, it was not a lack of effort from Lukaku but rather unfortunate circumstances. If luck had been on his side, he could have scored an equalizer for the black and blue team. Taking a fair assessment, Lukaku was just an individual who encountered misfortune within an unfortunate collective performance in Istanbul. Instead of blaming Lukaku, why not question Dimarco's aim and how he found the exact spot where Lukaku was shooting?
Blaming Lukaku is an injustice when considering the overall performance of Inter players in the Champions League final. On the contrary, Inter should commend the Belgian international for his resilient spirit on the pitch. It should be emphasized that the situation leading to Lukaku's yellow card was also a result of his eagerness to change the scoreline for his team, leading to an unnecessary foul in the 83rd minute.
But in the face of defeat, people always look for someone to blame. Lukaku has unfortunately become the target of anger as he seemed to be the ideal scapegoat. Many Inter fans demanded the club's management to immediately return Lukaku to Chelsea. Even Inter's President, Steven Zhang, seemed to support such sentiments. In his statement after the Champions League final, the Chinese tycoon said, "Romelu has a lot of love for Inter. He is great. But he still has a contract with Chelsea. We will have to wait for the right time to talk to the English club about Lukaku's future."
