Inter into Coppa Italia final after 3 - 0 derby win

MILAN - Inter came into the second leg of this Coppa Italia semi-final in need of a win, as the away goals rule meant that anything less would see them exit the competition. And win they certainly did! Lautaro Martinez’s incredible brace capped off a scintillating first-half performance from the Nerazzurri. Despite Milan’s best efforts to get back into the game in the second period, Inter withstood the pressure and managed to bag a third through Robin Gosens, who came on to score his first goal in an Inter shirt. It was an emphatic victory for Simone Inzaghi’s side as they can now look forward to the final in May, where they will face either Juventus or Fiorentina!

It was a captivating display from start to finish, with Inter needing just under four minutes to find the back of the net. It was Lautaro who set the tone for what was to come, latching on to Matteo Darmian’s cross and whipping a fantastic volley past Mike Maignan to break the deadlock early. Throughout the first half, Inter showed both creativity and discipline in their play, combined with their usual drive and tenacity. Milan pressed and looked dangerous, but the Nerazzurri were equal to it, remaining organised at the back and threatening in attack.

The Rossoneri managed to create some chances through Rafael Leao and Alexis Saelemaekers, but Samir Handanovic made some excellent saves to maintain his side’s advantage. It was in the moments before Inter doubled their lead that Milan had perhaps their best chance to draw level, as a neat one-two between Theo Hernandez and Saelemaekers created an opening. Ivan Perisic came to the rescue, however, as he made a crucial goal-line clearance.

Moments later, Inter were pressing at the other end of the pitch. Joaquin Correa finished off a piercing run with an excellent pass to his compatriot Lautaro, leaving him one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Il Toro was cool and collected as he dinked the ball over Maignan to bag a brace and send Inter into the break with a convincing lead against their rivals.

Stefano Pioli tried to change things up in the second half as his side hoped to get back into the game, but Inter were resolute and committed to maintaining their two-goal lead. They were under the cosh for some periods of the second half, but they never lost focus. There was a worrying moment on 66 minutes when Ismael Bennacer found the net for Milan. However, the Rossoneri’s celebrations were short-lived as the referee judged that Pierre Kalulu was in an offside position and impeding the goalkeeper’s line of sight following a VAR review.

After that close-call, it was time for Inter to shut the game down. Gosens replaced Perisic with just over ten minutes left to go and within three minutes of entering the pitch, he had grabbed his first goal in an Inter shirt. Arturo Vidal made a brilliant pass to Marcelo Brozovic, who squared the ball across the area and Gosens ran on to slot it home. The German had made his Inter debut in the previous Milan derby and now he got his first goal in the fixture too.

There were big celebrations at the end of the game as the team could share their joy with a full crowd. It was no less than what the fans deserved: three goals and a fantastic performance. Now, the Nerazzurri can look forward the final next month!

Inter 3-0 Milan (HT 2-0)Scorers: 4, 40 Lautaro (I), 82 Gosens (I)

INTER (3-5-2): 1 Handanovic; 37 Skriniar, 6 De Vrij, 95 Bastoni (33 D'Ambrosio 79); 36 Darmian, 23 Barella, 77 Brozovic, 20 Calhanoglu (22 Vidal 73), 14 Perisic (18 Gosens 79); 10 Lautaro (9 Dzeko 70), 19 Correa (7 Sanchez 70).Unused substitutes: 97 Radu, 2 Dumfries, 5 Gagliardini, 8 Vecino, 13 Ranocchia, 32 Dimarco, 88 Caicedo. Coach: Simone Inzaghi.

MILAN (4-2-3-1): 16 Maignan; 2 Calabria (46 Gabbia 73), 20 Kalulu , 23 Tomori, 19 Hernandez; 8 Tonali (10 Diaz 46), 4 Bennacer (33 Krunic 73); 56 Saelemaekers (30 Messias 46), 79 Kessie, 17 Leao (22 Lazetic 86); 9 Giroud. Unused substitutes: 1 Tatarusanu, 83 Mirante, 5 Ballo Toure, 7 Castillejo, 12 Rebic, 41 Bakayoko.Coach: Stefano Pioli.

Booked: Hernandez (M), Skriniar (I), Tomori (M)Added time: 1+6 minutes.

Referee: Mariani.Assistants: Costanzo, Passeri.Fourth official: Abisso.VAR: Mazzoleni.Assistant VAR: Tolfo.