MILAN: Inter Milan is in the Champions League final after an impressive 2-0 win over AC Milan in Wednesday’s pulsating semi-final derby.
Inter has the upper hand ahead of Tuesday’s second leg of the biggest Milan derby of a generation. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Edin Dzeko scored in the first 11 minutes.
Inter could have won by a wider margin as Hakan Calhanoglu smashed a shot off the post. Dzeko wasted his chance early in the second half. However, they are still heavy favorites to reach the final of Europe’s top club competition for the first time since 13 years ago.
“Sometimes I don’t score goals and that’s all anyone talks about, but I also give something else,” Dzeko told Prime Video after his third goal since January.
“Today I worked for the team and that was what was needed in such a big match.”
Reaching the final would be extremely rewarding for Inter as it would avenge the semi- and quarter-final eliminations by Milan in 2003 and 2005.
The tie winners will face holders Real Madrid or Manchester City in the June 10 showpiece in Istanbul. The first leg of that semi-final finished 1-1 in Spain on Tuesday.
“We’re disappointed. We could have done better, especially at the beginning, but we need to believe if we’re hoping to reach the final.”
Milan, who also struck the woodwork through Sandro Tonali, have their work cut out if they want to be European champions for the eighth time. They will hope Rafael Leao is available for next week’s decisive clash.
The absence of star man Leao left Milan without their key attacking threat. This allowed Inter to play more on the front foot knowing their opponents didn’t have the Portugal winger’s pace in their armoury.
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“We conceded two quick goals, and against Inter that’s difficult to recover from,” Milan defender Fikayo Tomori told Prime Video.
A colorful San Siro was nearly full an hour before kick-off, with both sets of fans exchanging chants and insults before the huge displays traditional to the fixture were unfurled as the teams came out.
But once the match was underway there was only one team on the pitch. This was a nominal away side with Inter looking more settled and dynamic off five straight wins and recent hot attack form.
It didn’t take long for the away side to open the scoring and it was a fabulous Dzeko goal in the eighth minute.
The Bosnia striker held off Davide Calabria and met Calhanoglu’s inswinging corner with an excellent volley. This left Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan without a chance.
With their tails up and fans falling over themselves in the Curva Nord, Inter opted for Milan. Three minutes later Mkhitaryan doubled their lead.
Federico Dimarco was scampering down the left flank and his low cut-back was first left by Lautaro Martinez and then collected by Armenian midfielder Mkhitaryan, who smashed in his fifth goal of the season.
Milan escaped three goals down after a quarter of an hour. Calhanoglu nearly silenced his former supporters’ boos with a long-range drive that crashed off the post.
And Martinez then won a penalty which was rightly overturned by referee Jesus Gil Manzano following a look at the pitch-side monitor.
Dzeko should have sealed the tie when one-on-one with Maignan in the 53rd minute. Not long after, while Milan’s fans unleashed a volley of flares and explosives, Tonali held his head in despair after striking the bottom of the post.
This was Milan’s last major opportunity as Inter comfortably held off their rivals for the final thirty minutes and then basked in the applause of their supporters dreaming of a Turkey trip.
