For the second consecutive year, Romelu Lukaku is returning to a former club. This time around, there is greater confidence he will be a success.
Lukaku's second attempt to forge a career at Chelsea proved as frustrating as his first.
Underused at Stamford Bridge as a young player before departing for Everton, Lukaku would argue he was misused last season.
The unstoppable force who had fired Inter to the 2020-21 Serie A title was gone, with the Belgium forward looking a little lost in Thomas Tuchel's system.
Now, though, Lukaku is back at Inter. Antonio Conte may no longer be at San Siro, but Lautaro Martinez, Lukaku's former strike partner, crucially still is.
The main man in Lukaku's absence, Martinez improved his goal output from 17 in 2020-21 to 21 last season, albeit that tally was still only enough to finish third in the Capocannoniere race.
Lukaku had been second the year before with 24, beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo, but his focus in returning to Italy is again on team success, with Inter having just lost the Scudetto to Milan.
"I don't care about the top scorers' ranking, I tell you honestly," Lukaku told DAZN ahead of the new season. "I only think of the Scudetto.
"Yes, the goals come, but we are at Inter, here we play for the Scudetto and not for individual things."
Succeeding as a team means playing as a team, and Lukaku and Martinez undoubtedly did that in 2020-21.
The pair created a combined 29 chances for one another, with eight of those leading to goals. That goal-assist combination made Lukaku and Martinez the most effective partnership in the division, ahead of Ruslan Malinovskyi and Duvan Zapata at Atalanta (seven goals).
The five goals Lukaku laid on for Martinez contributed to his 11 assists for the season, trailing only Malinovskyi (12) in that regard.
Indeed, since Opta's Serie A assist data began in 2004-05, Lukaku is the only player to score 20 or more goals and provide 10 or more assists in the same season.
Lukaku's inability to contribute a single assist in the Premier League last term therefore illustrates how spectacularly Chelsea failed to get the best out of him. Netting just eight times himself, he failed to link up with any Blues team-mate for more than a single goal.
That is not to say Lukaku and Martinez clicked instantly at Inter; in the former's first season in Italy, in 2019-20, he scored 23 goals but assisted only two. One of those two assists saw Lukaku tee up Martinez, but the Argentina forward did not return the favour even once.
In 2020-21, unlike at Chelsea, Lukaku was able to make the most of his best attributes for the benefit of both himself and his team-mate.
Rather than consider Lukaku a target man, Conte allowed his number nine to turn and run with the ball, with five of his assists coming following ball carries – along with four of his goals. Only Luis Muriel (12), another Atalanta player, contributed to more Serie A goals following carries than Lukaku's nine.
None of his eight Chelsea goals came following carries as he recorded only 4.4 carries per 90 minutes, down from 7.7 at Inter.
With Simone Inzaghi still using the same 3-5-2 formation that suited Lukaku so well, he and Inter will hope his reintegration now is seamless.
There remain other issues at the Nerazzurri, and goals were not necessarily the biggest problem Inzaghi's side had last term; they scored just five fewer than the previous season and led the league in that regard.
With three fewer victories than in their title-winning campaign, Inter finished two points shy of rivals Milan.
Yet Lukaku either scored or assisted in 22 of Inter's 38 games in 2020-21 and in 20 of their 28 wins – both league highs that show how vital his contributions can be.
The Nerazzurri will now head into the new season feeling confident they have re-signed the one man most likely to dominate Serie A matches on his own... or with a partner.
Javon East: Concacaf's Game-Changer in Central American Cup Group Stage
In the high-stakes arena of Concacaf matches, exceptional talent invariably takes centre stage. At the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup group stage, it was Deportivo Saprissa's dynamic forward, Javon East, who rose to the occasion and stood as a game-changer.
East, a 28-year-old Jamaican striker, delivered a stellar performance for the Monstruo Morado, propelling his team to a commanding first-place finish in Group A. His remarkable display included three goals from eight well-placed shots, all accomplished within 251 minutes of relentless gameplay. Impressively, he also boasted a pass completion rate of nearly 65 per cent.
As a fitting tribute to his pivotal role, Javon East has been bestowed with Concacaf's Game-Changer title for the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup group stage. In an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com, East expressed his gratitude for this recognition and acknowledged its motivating influence on his future endeavours.
"I'm grateful for the credit, and it adds a little bit of motivation to push even harder for the future games coming up in Concacaf," said East.
He went on to emphasize the significance of the accolade, stating, "I'm thankful. I'm happy as a player that I know I'm doing something right, and people are watching and see my talent and give me credit for it. I'm grateful for that."
East's remarkable impact extends beyond the pitch, as he attributes much of Saprissa's success in the competition to the strong bonds forged both on and off the field.
"It's a family first. It's more important that we are a family on and off the field, it is carrying over inside the game, and we are doing pretty well in Concacaf. We are qualified to the next round, and we just have to take it a game at a time and see where it goes," East remarked.
While his two-goal performance in the resounding 5-0 victory against Coban Imperial may appear particularly impressive, East personally values his role in the team's opening 1-0 triumph against Cartagines as his standout performance of the group stage.
"I think the first game was my best game, not because I scored one goal in that game, but because of the number of chances I created. So normally as a striker, I like to see how many more chances I create more than how many I score," East explained.
With the group stage behind them, Saprissa now shifts its focus to the knockout stage, where they will encounter a formidable adversary in Real Esteli of Nicaragua during the quarterfinals. East recognizes the challenge posed by their upcoming opponent and emphasizes the importance of thorough preparation.
"[Real Esteli] are a team that has improved over the years. I watched them in their first game and their last game. I didn't know that we were going to play that team, but I was watching the game, and they are very impressive. I give them their respect. We have to prepare mentally and physically for that battle because it's going to be a tough one," East asserted.
As Javon East continues to make his mark on the Concacaf stage, his remarkable journey unfolds as an inspiring testament to talent, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence in the world of football.
Massimiliano Allegri plays down Juventus’ chances of winning Serie A
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has attempted to play down expectations after his side’s strong start to the season.
The Bianconeri have claimed 10 points from their opening four Serie A games and sit second in the table, two points behind early leaders Inter Milan.
With no European commitments this season, Juve could made a strong push to reclaim the title but Allegri does not want to look further than Saturday’s trip to Sassuolo.
Allegri told reporters: “Now we have to stay focused because there’s too much euphoria and, while on the one hand that’s nice, it can take away energy and attention.
“We’re only on matchday five and Sassuolo, with the exception of a 3-0 win a few years ago, have always been tough opponents.
“They’re coming off the back of a big defeat to Frosinone, so we’ll have a tough task and we will have to be very attentive, physical and technically good. It will be important to get a good result.”
Allegri insists other teams are still in a stronger position than Juve and he thinks it will be tough enough to get back into the Champions League.
He said: “We have a chance to get into the top four, but it won’t be easy because Inter, AC Milan and Napoli are stronger than everybody.
“We have to go one step at a time, with balance, without mood swings that are tied to single results.
“Whatever path we take will be determined to have been right or not by the results at the end of the season.
“We have to have the desire to be at the top but we have to get the results to get into the Champions League.”
Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic have been passed fit for the trip to Reggio Emilia but with a short turnaround before Tuesday’s home clash with Lecce, Allegri recognises the need to manage his squad.
He said: “Vlahovic had some back pain and Federico had some fatigue with his flexor but they’re fully available.
“We are only thinking about Sassuolo but we have a game three days later and I think we’ll rotate on Tuesday. I’ll evaluate Vlahovic’s condition.
“We have a less experienced squad this year but we’ve got enthusiasm and dynamism.
“We have to keep working hard to improve, remembering that we have to run more than everybody else and results will bring more confidence and belief.”
‘Vocal’ Greg Taylor enjoys hearing more from his new Celtic team-mates
Greg Taylor relishes his role in being one of the main men in the Celtic dressing room but feels his new team-mates are starting to make a noise.
Taylor joined Celtic four years ago and has seen plenty of change with nine new signings arriving this summer alone, many of them a similar age to what he was when he arrived.
The 25-year-old said: “Probably because I am one of the longer servants at the club, I feel like I am one of the more vocal ones in the team.
“But everyone plays their part, whether they are vocal or leading by example. When we are on the pitch, everyone is out there giving their all for the club.
“I enjoy it, I am not shy in chatting. But neither are guys like Ali Johnston as I am sure you well know.
“We have a good group. It is a young group but a lot of guys are not shy in giving their opinions. We just all want the same thing, that’s for us to improve and continue to grow.
“Naturally I am loud but the more games you play, the more comfortable you feel and you grow in stature and people probably begin to respect your opinion a bit more. That happens.
“You have got guys like Cam (Carter-Vickers) who is more naturally quiet but the way he shows is in his performances.
“And we have boys who have come in and settled really well this year so I’m sure as time goes on they will begin to show their voice in the changing room as well.”
There has been much change in central defence this season with Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh, Maik Nawrocki and Nat Phillips all missing recent games through injury.
Liam Scales has emerged as a key player in recent weeks after stepping in from the cold following a season-long loan at Aberdeen and Taylor has been impressed with his impact.
“He has done really well and I think he did really well when he was on loan at Aberdeen,” Taylor said ahead of Saturday’s cinch Premiership clash at Livingston.
“We obviously didn’t get to play against him but any time I got to see any of the games I thought he equipped himself really well.
“He has taken that into this season. He has come with a new manager and tried to impress and when he has been given his opportunity, he has taken it.”
Celtic are looking to bounce back from a 2-0 Champions League defeat by Feyenoord after having Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm sent off and Taylor knows they will need to adapt in West Lothian.
“It is a big change of course but the one thing that this club demands is winning and that’s the exciting part, every game you have got to give the same focus, the same performance,” the former Kilmarnock defender said. “The fans expect that and demand that.
“It’s physically demanding in both ways. The Champions League is the elite so you are pushing your body to the very limit but then of course you play Saturday and maybe a change of style, Livingston will be quite physical. That’s another challenge, so it’s just something you have got to deal with.
“It’s been difficult games every time we have played there. Davie Martindale sets up his team really well, he knows what their strengths are and plays to it.
“We have got to be aware of that but also just focus on our own strengths and try to play our football.”
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