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Lautaro’s 74th-minute goal seals a 3-0 aggregate win over AC Milan
We’ve dreamt of this moment so many times. So many times. We’ve fought, worked, run, hoped, sweated. So, so much. From disappointments to triumphs, from friendlies to finals. We dreamt of this moment and now it is here, and we’re all celebrating it together. The 75,000 at San Siro and the millions of Nerazzurri brothers and sisters all over the world. It is our moment. Milano is ours, and we’re the ones flying to Istanbul for the Champions League final. It couldn’t be more beautiful. We’ve won another derby and reign supreme in the city. Lautaro, our Lautaro. The man of the match and the only goalscorer of the return leg. It was never in doubt: Inter were too strong, too focused, too – well – everything. Inter, Inter, Inter. We’re in the final, and we’ll never get tired of shouting it.
C’è solo l’Inter. There is only Inter. A fourth derby win in five this campaign, with the Nerazzurri once again the superior side tonight. In front of boisterous home crowd who lent their incredible support throughout, Lautaro Martinez’s 74th-minute finish sealed a 3-0 aggregate victory.
In a match with a tense build-up, Leao made his return for an AC Milan side who found themselves two behind following the first leg. But Inter, whose line-up was the same one that took to the pitch six days ago, set their stall out in a focused and determined manner. It was hard to hear the referee: the noise at San Siro was deafening. The away side looked for individual inspiration, with Hernandez getting forward and trying to make a nuisance of himself. Meanwhile, Inter were combining quickly on the counter. The first scare of the game came in the eleventh minute as Onana saved Diaz’s effort from twelve yards out.
It was a vital stop and a potentially defining moment. Inter started to increase the pressure as the minutes went by, although Leao did fire narrowly wide after a burst forward in the 38th minute. At the other end, Maignan somehow kept out a Dzeko header from a Calhanoglu free-kick.
The 0-0 scoreline at half-time suited Inter, even if the first half was slightly marred by a muscle problem for Mkhitaryan, who was replaced by Brozovic. The second period kicked off and Inter were attentive, closing all the gaps to play in. The Nerazzurri didn’t need to accelerate. As for AC Milan, they just couldn’t get going. And when Gosens and Lukaku entered the fray, the Rossoneri crumbled.
A historic moment arrived in the 74th minute: the goal that sealed Inter’s spot in the Champions League final for the sixth time in history. Gosens and Lukaku were involved and the latter picked out Lautaro, who beat Maignan at his near post. Pure unbridled joy. The Nerazzurri never looked back and completely controlled the final 20 minutes. There were battles, fouls, bookings and moments of tension. And there were attempts from Lautaro and Lukaku as Inzaghi’s men went for a second. But they didn’t need a second goal. Inter emerged victorious and are now in the Champions League final. This is our moment, and it’s very black and blue.
