Inter Milan took a big step towards a return to the Champions League final for the first time since 2010, beating cross-city rivals AC Milan 2-0 in the first leg of their semi-final at the San Siro on Wednesday.
The Nerazzurri overwhelmed their opponents early on, with goals from Edin Džeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the lead within three minutes. The second leg is scheduled for Tuesday, with the winner facing either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final.
Milan, who were without key forward Rafael Lew through injury, struggled to find their rhythm after Inter’s early attack. Dzeko opened the scoring in the eighth minute when David Calabria headed in Hakan Cahanoglu’s corner.
Mkhitaryan made it 2-0 soon after, expertly lifting the ball past Mike Mignon after being set up by Federico DiMarco.
Milan had conceded just one goal in their last six Champions League matches but were unable to keep up with Inter’s pace. Çalhanoğlu came close to making it 3-0 in the 13th minute, hitting the post with a long-range effort.
The Rossoneri had a chance to get back into the game in the 63rd minute but Sandro Tonali’s shot hit the post and bounced off the post.
Despite the defeat, Milan manager Stefano Pioli was upbeat, saying: “It’s not over yet. We need to go into the second leg with the belief that we can turn it around.” Meanwhile, his Inter counterpart Antonio Conte praised his side’s performance, saying: “We put in a great performance, but we know the tie is not over yet. We have to be as focused and determined in the second leg. Required.”
The match, dubbed the “Euroderby” in Italy, was played in front of a packed San Siro crowd, with both sets of supporters creating an electric atmosphere.
The second leg promises to be just as intense, as Milan look to overturn the deficit and keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
