Inter Milan eased their way into the Champions League final with a 3-0 aggregate victory over AC Milan after Lautaro Martinez’s goal sealed a 1-0 second-leg win over their rivals at the San Siro on Tuesday evening.
Inter will be the underdog against either Real Madrid or Manchester City on June 10 in Istanbul, but the manner in which they handled both legs of this all-Milan matchup suggests they will be difficult to defeat.
At the San Siro, the defining moment occurred when Argentine Martinez exchanged passes with substitute Romelu Lukaku and fired a shot from inside the penalty area that Milan custodian Mike Maignan allowed to enter.
Martinez, captain of Inter, praised his team’s cohesiveness in the two matches against their city rivals.
“What counts is the squad. I experienced it at the World Cup (with Argentina),” he said.
“It makes it easy if you have a united squad with everyone pulling in the same direction. It means you get to play these very important matches in the best possible way.”
He added: “After winning the World Cup and experiencing what is the pinnacle for a player I knew we could reach this final, and we did it.”
His goal effectively ended the game’s tie status.
Milan, trailing 2-0 from the first leg, had pushed hard in the first half, led by Rafael Leao, who missed the goal with one of his team’s best opportunities.
Maignan then dropped to his knees to collect Edin Dzeko’s header off Hakan Calhanoglu’s quick free kick.
The introduction of Lukaku in the second half provided Inter with the spark they needed to extend their lead.
Lukaku has gradually regained his form after missing the majority of the season due to injuries and suffering a tarnished reputation after Belgium’s dismal World Cup performance.
The forward on loan from Chelsea immediately caused problems for the Milan defence and set up Martinez’s goal, securing their place in the Champions League final for the first time since Jose Mourinho led them to the title in 2010.
“Tutti a Istanbul”, the joyous Inter fans sang with the Nerazzurri now one game away from a fourth Champions League title.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said: “It’s a dream come true. We always believed we could do it, we have had an extraordinary journey (to the final).
“What pleased me? Everything. The running, the determination, the concentration… they were very good.”
Manchester City or Real Madrid, who have won the Champions League a record 14 times, will face Inzaghi’s team in Wednesday’s final at City’s Etihad Stadium. The semi-final is currently tied 1-1.
“We’re going to have to give it our all,” Martinez said.
Milan’s coach, Stefano Pioli, was left to ponder a harsh conclusion to “a terrific” run to the semi-finals.
“It’s normal to be disappointed after losing in the semi-final, especially in a derby.
“The players gave their all in both legs but Inter deserved it. They played better than us, winning both matches.
“Given our journey and what we’ve done over the past three years it would have been fabulous to get to the final. But we didn’t make it, that’s a massive disappointment.”
Photo by EPA/ROBERTO BREGANI
