Champions League

Inter win Milan derby 1-0 to reach Champions League final

May 16, 2023

Inter Milan secured a spot in the Champions League final with a 1-0 victory over their rivals, AC Milan, in the second leg of the semi-finals. A crucial goal by forward Lautaro Martinez in the second half sealed the deal for Inter, giving them a 3-0 aggregate win. The match took place at the San Siro, where Milan showed more determination than in the first leg but couldn’t match Inter’s prowess.

In the 74th minute, Martinez unleashed a powerful strike from close range, effectively putting the tie to rest. Inter had already held a 2-0 advantage going into the game, courtesy of early goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the first leg. Their dominant performance in the semi-finals made it clear that they were never in serious danger of missing out on the final.

Inter’s journey to the final included victories against Portuguese teams Porto and Benfica in earlier rounds. This will be their sixth appearance in the final, with their last appearance resulting in them lifting the European Cup in the 2009-10 season under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.

For the crucial second leg, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi opted for an unchanged lineup, relying on Martinez and Dzeko up front. Milan welcomed back their main forward, Rafael Leao, who had missed the first leg due to an adductor problem. Junior Messias and Malick Thiaw replaced Alexis Saelemaekers and Simon Kjaer in the starting lineup.

Milan displayed a more daring approach in the match and had early opportunities to score. However, Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana made a brilliant save to deny Brahim Diaz’s low shot. Just before the end of the first half, Leao had a golden chance to reduce the deficit but narrowly missed the target. Milan’s keeper, Mike Maignan, then made a superb save to deny Dzeko’s header from a free kick.

While Milan continued to search for an opening to mount a comeback, Inter showed no signs of easing up in the first half. Martinez ultimately became Milan’s executioner, combining with substitute Romelu Lukaku for a one-two before finding the back of the net. This marked Martinez’s sixth goal in Inter’s last six games.

This victory is particularly significant for Inter as it is the first time they have progressed from a knockout tie against Milan in the Champions League. Milan had emerged victorious in the semi-finals of the 2002-03 season and the quarter-finals of the 2004-05 season.

The final will see Inter face either Real Madrid or Manchester City on June 10. The second leg between the two teams is currently level at 1-1, with the match set to take place in Manchester tomorrow.