Inter Milan beat city rivals AC Milan 1-0 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final to reach their first final in over a decade.
Inter’s Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the game, securing a 3–0 aggregate win and setting up a final against either Real Madrid or Manchester City on 10 June in Istanbul, Turkey.
Despite being considered the underdogs, Inter’s strong performance throughout the semi-finals suggests they will be a strong contender in the final.
The victory is the team’s first final since 2010, when they won the league, Italian Cup and Champions League under Jose Mourinho.
The “Euroderby” between Inter Milan and AC Milan was highly anticipated and lived up to its reputation as a fierce contest between the two rival clubs. AC Milan got the added boost of ending a long wait to reach the final. He last made it to the showpiece event in 2007 when he won the last of his seven titles.
AC Milan welcomed back Rafael Luo, who missed the previous match due to a thigh injury. The team hoped that his return would motivate them to overturn the 2-0 deficit. Early in the match, Brahim Diaz had a weak shot saved by Inter goalkeeper Andre Ona, but Liao had his first real chance to get his side back in the game shortly before half-time. However, his angled drive hit the outside of the far post.
The second half belonged to Inter Milan, who dominated the game and Martinez’s goal sealed their place in the final. The Nerazzurri were able to rely on the same attacking partnership that had led them to the Serie A title two years earlier, with Romelu Lukaku setting up Martinez for the only goal.
Inter Milan’s impressive performance in the All-Milan derby suggests they will mount a formidable challenge against either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final in Istanbul, Turkey on June 10. Despite being considered underdogs, the team’s performance in both legs of the semi-final shows their strength and ability to win when it counts.
Inter Milan will be looking to secure their first Champions League title in over a decade, with a determined and confident squad to match any opposition they face in the final.
Inter Milan (3-5-2)
Andre Ona; Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Edin Dzeko, Lautaro Martinez (captain)
Coach: Simone Inzaghi (ITA)
AC Milan (4-2-3-1)
Mike Magnon; David Calabria (capt), Malik Theo, Fakiyo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Rod Cronk, Sandro Tonali; Jr. Mesias, Brahim Diaz, Rafael Leo; Oliver Giroud
Coach: Stefano Pioli (ITA)
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
