Inter Milan defeated AC Milagn 3-0 on the road to advancing to the Champions League final as Lautaro Martinez added the finishing touch.
Inter will play either Manchester City or Real Madrid in Istanbul on June 10 after Martinez scored the only goal of a stop-start second leg to add to their 2-0 triumph in the first leg last week.
In front of a 76,000-strong crowd at the San Siro, Argentina’s World Cup-winning striker scored in the 75th minute to give Inter an eighth straight victory.
Read Also:Champions League: Who Gets the Final Ticket In the Milan Derby?
In addition to securing their first Champions League final since 2010—the year Jose Mourinho orchestrated the triple triumph before departing to join Real Madrid—it also keeps the possibility of winning a fourth European championship alive.
Milan got out to a quick start, aware of the necessity for urgency in the 237th matchup between the city rivals, and in the 14th minute, they were given a chance to completely change the game.
Brahim Diaz had a clear opportunity at goal after Sandro Tonali deftly created the opening, but the Spain forward’s effort lacked conviction and goalkeeper Andre Onana made a straightforward stop.
If Milan was encouraged by their opportunities, Inter’s threat with Martinez going in was mitigated by Rafael Leao’s shot going wide of the goal.
On the second of those, Milan was still in the game thanks to an incredible reflex save by Mike Maignan.
When Inter took possession of the ball to start the second half, frustrating opponents who appeared to have run out of strategies, it highlighted the significance of Milan’s squandered opportunities.
Francesco Acerbi’s sneaky off-the-ball stamp on Tonali’s foot enraged the Milan players, but referee Clement Turpin did nothing.
After Romelu Lukaku came off the bench, the Belgian teamed up with Martinez to secure Inter’s spot in the championship game just moments later.
When the time was right, Lukaku held the ball up in the corner of the box and threaded a pass to his teammate, who made a nice first touch before outmuscling Maignan at the near post.
Martinez’s flash of brilliance was a rare high point in an increasingly sour second half that led to a slew of yellow cards and Milan’s demise.