2023-05-17 01:17:04
After 13 years, Inter Milan is back in the Champions League final. World champion Martinez makes everything clear with his goal. On June 10th it’s now in Istanbul against Manchester City or Real Madrid.
Edin Dzeko and Co. made jubilant jumps in front of the Curva Nord, which Inter-Tifosi chanted: “We’re going to Istanbul!” 13 years after the Champions League triumph over FC Bayern, Inter Milan is again reaching for the European football crown.
Thanks to a semi-final victory in Milan’s “Euroderby” over city rivals AC Milan, the ripped-off Nerazzurri stormed into the final in Istanbul. Coach Simone Inzaghi’s team won the second leg of the semifinals 1-0 (0-0) on Tuesday thanks to Lautaro Martinez – the world champion had married at the weekend and let his team through his goal after winning 2-0 in the first duel cheer again in the 74th minute. The AC sold expensively for a long time, but could not crack a sovereign inter-defensive.
Inter last in 2010 in the Champions League final
For the sixth time in the club’s history, Inter is in the final of the Champions League or the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. Against Manchester City or Real Madrid, who are contesting the second semi-final, the fourth premier class success is to come on June 10 in the final on the Bosphorus. The Milan team last managed to do that in the 2010 final in Madrid against Bayern (2-0).
At Milan, on the other hand, the dream of another coup is gone. “It’s very disappointing when you’re already in the semifinals. I’m happy that I played, but the disappointment is greater,” said Germany U21 international Malick Thiaw on Amazon Prime Video.
In front of 75,567 spectators in the sold-out soccer temple in San Siro, nothing less than the fate of the two arch-rivals was at stake – at least that’s what the “Gazzetta dello Sport” announced in a powerfully fatalistic way. In contrast to the first duel, when Inter was in the lead with two goals after just over ten minutes and showed off the opponent, this time a duel developed on an equal footing.
Diaz with the first big chance
Milan took the initiative, determined to turn the duel around after all. A look at history shows that the task was huge: so far only one team had managed to catch up two or more goals after a semi-final first leg (Liverpool made up for a 0-3 draw in Barcelona in 2019 with a 4-0 win at home ). Coach Stefano Pioli was optimistic.
Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana (11th minute) thwarted the nominal guests’ first big chance by Brahim Diaz – but because the action was preceded by a foul by Milan defender Theo Hernandez on European champion Nicolò Barella, a possible goal would probably have been withdrawn by VAR. At the other end, just Barella forced AC keeper Mike Maignan to do a brilliant job; Referee Clement Turpin from France whistled for offside.
The fans and plenty of football celebrities in the stands, such as UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and a number of former professionals, got to see just before the break why AC Milan was so excited for Rafael Leão’s comeback. In the first leg, the Portuguese missed out on injury – now, after one of his irresistible sprints, he appeared alone in front of Onana, but fired just wide of the far post from a tight angle (38′).
Lautaro Martinez decides the duel
In addition to Leão, Thiaw was also a new starter and faced Argentina’s world champion Martinez and ex-Bundesliga professional Edin Dzeko – the outstanding goalscorer of the first leg – in central defense. Just Dzeko was about to take the lead again, but Maignan parried his header with a strong reflex (39′).
Milan tried again after the change of sides, but it became more and more harmless offensively. When Martinez took advantage of an indecisive moment in the AC defense to make it 1-0, the duel was decided. The striker put the ball in the short corner, AC keeper Mike Maignan did not look good. (dpa)
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