Inter Milan beat their archrivals, AC Milan, 1-0 in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal tie, to book a spot in the final against either Manchester City or Real Madrid. Inter won the game 3-0 on aggregate after a flying start in the first leg. Milan played better in the second leg but failed to create many chances and were punished by Inter’s Lautaro Martinez’s 74th-minute goal.
Martinez, who won the World Cup with Argentina in December, spoke about the unity of the group and said that playing in the Champions League final is a dream: “We started this season with goals, and today we achieved a very important one.” Champions League – Semi Final – Second Leg – Inter Milan v AC Milan – San Siro, Milan, Italy – Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring their first goal(REUTERS)
This is the first time Inter have progressed to the final from a knockout tie against their city rivals in the competition, with Milan coming out on top both in the 2002-03 semifinals and the 2004-05 quarters. It is also the first time in nearly 50 years that Milan has lost to Inter four times in a single campaign.
Stefano Pioli’s Milan, who have won just two of their last seven Serie A games, risk dropping out of Europe’s elite club competition next season as they currently sit four points off the top four.