Lukaku-Lautaro partnership only rivalled by Neymar, Mbappé and Icardi, claims Vieri

Christian Vieri believes only Paris Saint-Germain's attack of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Mauro Icardi can compete with Inter Milan's long-term strike partnership of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez.

Inter are top of the table in a thrilling Serie A title race in which just one point separates the Nerazzurri from third-place Lazio, who host Antonio Conte's men in a huge contest at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. Lukaku has enjoyed a fine start to life at Inter, scoring 17 goals in 23 top-flight appearances, while Lautaro has contributed 11 in 20.

Lukuku and Lautaro guarantee goals

Former Inter striker Vieri says the future is bright for Conte's side and not many teams boast a better long-term strike force. "The pairing of Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez guarantees Inter both a present and future as a top club," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.  "They're among the best three-four partnerships in the world, so considering their age and prospects, only PSG can compete with Kylian Mbappe, Neymar or Mauro Icardi."

Lazio have spent significantly less than Inter and second-place Juventus but are challenging in part due to Ciro Immobile's excellent return of 25 Serie A goals. Immobile is the top scorer in the league but Vieri says the Italy international and Lukaku, while outstanding talents in their own right, are not at the level of Juve forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who splits the two in the race for top-scorer honours.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is in a league of his own - Vieri

"Ronaldo belongs to another category, he belongs to a world apart. He's a beast, always hungry, matched with impressive quality and technique," he added.  "Lukaku is a pure centre-forward, devastating, physically strong. He fights, keeps the ball, helps his team-mates. Conte has helped Lukaku reach his physical peak. Immobile gives defenders a headache. He never stops moving and is incredibly difficult to mark.  He's more of an atypical striker, but is still lethal in front of goal, even with all that work. I respect him, he never stops working."

Having represented all three teams during a nomadic career, Vieri is well-placed to comment on a title race he believes is the best Serie A has seen in some time. "It's the best title race in 10-15 years and I think it's going to be a battle right to the final round," the ex-Italy striker said.

Eriksen will triumph at Inter

Vieri also hailed Inter's signing of Christian Eriksen, a move he feels shows the club are displaying their ambition to return to the elite in European football. "Inter want to win straight away, but with Eriksen, they also build for the future," he said.  "He has so much quality, can cover all the midfield roles and the fact he chose the Nerazzurri confirms the club has grown on an international level."