Lautaro Martinez’s goal capped off a “Euroderby” victory against AC Milan for Inter, winning 1-0 on Tuesday to reach their first Champions League final in more than a decade.
Much better in both games of the tie, the Nerazzurri won 3–0 on aggregate. They will be playing in their first final in Europe’s top club tournament since a memorable treble of league titles, Italian Cup and ‘champions’ under Jose Mourinho in 2010.
The move to score the goal in the 74th minute was thought out by Inter’s strong pairing of Lautaro and Romelu Lukaku. The Argentine forward finished with a left-footed shot at the near post after receiving an assist from Lukaku and then climbed over the stadium fence to celebrate.
After the final whistle, the players and Inter coaching staff celebrated with the fans by singing and dancing in front of the Curva Nord at the San Siro, the stadium shared by the two teams.
In search of a third European Cup, Inter will face either Real Madrid or Manchester City in Istanbul on June 10. The second leg of that crossing will be played in Manchester on Wednesday following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
The wait for matching continues. He has not reached the final of the tournament since 2007, when he captured the last of his seven titles.
The Rossoneri get back Rafael Leao. The Portuguese striker missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury and the Rossoneri are confident his return will be a blow.
The difference can be seen in the sense that Milan’s intensity increased in the early stages, but Stefano Pioli’s team lacked clarity.
Brahim Díaz tested with a weak shot that Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana dislodged without problem. Leo showed some danger by overflowing onto the left wing of the box shortly before the break, but his angled shot went over the far post.
Inter also generated their own chances to score the tie-breaking goal, highlighting Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s shot that went over the crossbar. Furthermore, Rossonero goalkeeper Mike Magnan was required to deflect a header from Edin Dzeko at point blank range.
The hosts sealed their passport to the final when “Toro” Martínez opened up space on the left of the box and exchanged passes with Lukaku, who came on for Dzeko less than 10 minutes later – hitting Megan For.
The goal sent the Rossoneri out, with Pioli testing a number of changes that came too late to do anything productive. The last hour of an hour became friction, with five reprimands.
It is a defeat that leaves Milan empty-handed this season after winning the Serie A title last year. They will have to fight hard to at least qualify for the next edition of the Champions League.
