Inter Milan defeated AC Milan 1-0 in an all-Italian UEFA Champions League semifinal second-leg clash, storming into their first final at the prestigious competition since 2010 on Tuesday after completing a 3-0 win on aggregate.
Previously, Milan had beaten AC Milan 2-0 in the first leg. Three-time champions Inter will now meet either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final on 10 June in Istanbul, in their first final appearance since 2010, when they defeated Bayern Munich to win the title.
Lautaro Martinez sealed their advancement in the 74th minute, beating AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan with an angled strike at a noisy San Siro. AC Milan had some bright moments in the first half, with Brahim Diaz and the returning Rafael Leao missing their finest chances, but failed to even manage a shot on target in a one-sided second half as Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to victory.
Inter threatened to blast away AC Milan in the first leg last week, scoring both goals within the first 11 minutes through Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but this time Stefano Pioli’s side looked more dangerous early on. Inter were given a scare when Theo Hernandez fired inches over the bar from long range, and Diaz then squandered a golden opportunity after a great run and cut-back by midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Leao, who had missed the first leg due to a muscular ailment, also went close, sprinting away from Matteo Darmian and sending a low effort just beyond Onana’s left-hand post, but Inter mainly controlled the game in the first half and had chances of their own. Dzeko came closest, with his flicked header from Hakan Calhanoglu’s free kick necessitating a quick reaction save from Maignan, who also denied Nicolo Barella, albeit with the Inter player offside.
AC Milan needed to come up with something extraordinary in the second half if they were to reach their 12th final in their illustrious history, but they came out of the break looking defeated.
Inter kept them at bay with ease, with AC Milan barely appearing as an attacking force, and then, when the opportunity to end the game presented itself, Martinez grabbed it. Inside the box, the Argentina international exchanged passes with substitute Romelu Lukaku before shifting the ball onto his left foot and beating Maignan with a strong finish.
In stoppage time, Lukaku almost got in on the act, forcing a save from Maignan with another well-hit shot, but the Inter fans inside the San Siro had already begun their celebrations with the Champions League final looming.
