Inter Milan is set to face Cagliari in Serie A on Friday afternoon. A notable change in Cristian Chivu’s starting lineup sees regular first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer replaced by Josep Martinez.
Reasoning Behind Martinez’s Selection Against Cagliari
Martinez has served as Sommer’s backup for the past two seasons at San Siro. However, he has been the preferred goalkeeper for Inter in domestic cup competitions this season, featuring in all three Coppa Italia matches and the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final. He has also made two Serie A appearances this term.
Pre-match reports suggest that Chivu plans to field Martinez in the second leg of Inter’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Como, scheduled for Tuesday evening, April 21.
Given that Martinez has not played since the first leg of the Como semi-final six weeks ago on March 3, Chivu has reportedly decided to start him against Cagliari as a ‘warm-up,’ according to TMW.
Interestingly, Martinez’s last Serie A appearance was also against Cagliari on September 27, a game Inter won 2-0. His only other league appearance this season was a 2-1 home victory against Sassuolo on September 21.