Move over Ibrahimovic, there’s a new king in Milan. Romelu Lukaku has been having the time of his life since leaving Old Trafford. The 26-year-old has now set a new record by scoring 20 goals in fewer games than Ronaldo Nazario for Inter Milan.
It appears the £73 million move from Manchester United in the summer is paying off as Conte’s men are ambitious to win the Copa Italia cup. Juventus who have carried the cup for three consecutive years was hit with a low blow on Saturday after a 2-1 defeat to Hellas Verona.
The Belgian striker, who has enjoyed 29 games this season, has scored 20 goals and doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon. Before Lukaku, Ronaldo Nazario who once played for the Nerazzurri was able to achieve 20 goals in 31 appearances for Inter. The Brazilian was a big deal at the time due to his world record transfer fee from PSV to Inter in 1997.
No one has been able to come close to this until years later when Adriano was able to hit the back of the net 20 times in 37 appearances. Adriano’s record was also equivalent to that of Argentine duo Rodrigo Palacio and Diego Milito. Yet, no one was able to surpass Ronaldo’s record till Sunday’s win at San Siro when Lukaku found the back of the net in the 93rd minute.
See the full list of players who have scored 20 goals for Inter Milan and the number of games it took them:
1. Romelu Lukaku – 29 games
2. Ronaldo – 31 games
3. Ruben Sosa – 31 games
4. Adriano – 37 games
5.Diego Milito – 37 games
6. Rodrigo Palacio – 37 games
7. Christian Vieri – 38 games
8. Mauro Icardi – 39 games
Thanks to a cross from Victor Moses in stoppage time, the Belgium superstar was able to top the list in a stunning comeback 4-2 victory for Antonio Conte’s side. Conte’s men were down by 2 in the first half thanks to goals by Rebic in the 40th minute and Ibrahimovic in the 46th minute. After a stellar comeback, Lukaku proceeded to take off his shirt then hanged it on the corner flag.
Taking to social media to celebrate he tweeted after the game, “There’s a new king in town.”
This could be seen as a jab towards former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the Sweden international often referred to himself as the “king of Milan.” The 38-year-old had given himself the name after a successful spell with the Rossoneri.
Reflecting on the comeback, Lukaku told Sky Sport Italia: “I think that everyone has seen this team’s mentality, we never give up and we’re always looking to win. I’m here to win and my only aim is to help the team get results.
“I want to thank all of the fans, my team-mates, Mister [Antonio] Conte and all of his backroom staff for the support that they’re giving me” he added.
Thanks to Inter Milan’s win over AC Milan, they have slid into first place on the Serie A table. They hold the same amount of points as second-place Juventus.
