Inter Milan 1-0 (3-0 on agg.) AC Milan: 5 talking points as Lautaro Martinez sends Nerazzurri into the finals | UEFA Champions League 2022-23
Inter Milan reached the UEFA Champions League final after beating AC Milan 1-0 in the second leg of their semifinal tie on Tuesday, May 16, to win 3-0 in aggregate.
Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the game to ensure the Nerazzurri will face either Real Madrid or Manchester City for the title in Istanbul next month.
Coming into the match with a comfortable 2-0 lead, Simone Inzaghi's side were content to let Milan have the ball in the first half. The Rossoneri, on their part, looked to make the most of it and had two good chances.
However, Brahim Diaz fired straight at Andre Onana, while Rafael Leao sliced his shot wide from up close.
Inter, who had beaten Milan in their last three derbies this year, kept their city rivals at bay after the break and hit them in the 74th minute. Romelu Lukaku held up the ball superbly under pressure before squaring it to Martinez, who slotted home past Mike Maignan to put the tie beyond Milan's reach.
The result means Inter are into their first UEFA Champions League final since 2010 and will be aiming for two trophies, having also reached the Coppa Italia final. They will face ACF Fiorentina in the summit clash of the latter competition.
As for Milan, they have a fight on their hands to return to the competition next year as they have slipped to fifth position in the Serie A. Their focus will be on their three remaining league games as they look to overcome fourth-placed S.S. Lazio's four-point lead over them.
Here are the five talking points from the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg between AC Milan and Inter Milan:
#5 AC Milan simply can't score against Inter Milan
For the fourth derby in a row this year, AC Milan have failed to score against Inter Milan. Since beating them 3-2 in their first meeting back in September last year, Stefano Pioli's side have run into a stonewall, drawing a blank in each of their clashes with the Nerazzurri since.
Milan were beaten 3-0 in the Italian Supercup finals in January, and then lost 1-0 in Serie A. Within the last seven days, they have been vanquished twice in the Champions League too by their city rivals, who have dominated this historic fixture lately.
#4 Rafael Leao fails to shine on Milan return
All eyes in the buildup to the fixture were on Rafael Leao, who returned to AC Milan's XI on Tuesday night. He missed the first leg of the tie with an injury that kept him out of their 2-0 league defeat to 17th-placed Spezia at the weekend too.
With huge expectations riding on him, the Portuguese ace failed to step up, much to Milan's chagrin. He completed both his dribble attempts, but got no shots on target, had just 31 touches and lost four of his seven duels, while also giving away three fouls.
There were no questions about his work-ethic, with Leao dropping back to regain possession and initiating attack. However, he lacked proper service to rely on and couldn't create anything of note for his AC Milan teammates either.
His only real opportunity came in the 37th minute when he broke clear of Mateo Darmian to face up to Andre Onana. Although the angle was tough, he should've done better than slicing his effort wide off target from close range.
#3 Goalkeepers take centre stage in a game of few chances
As compared to the first leg, this was a slightly less thrilling affair but Inter Milan and AC Milan's goalkeepers shone through with key saves.
Andre Onana had to make just one save but it was a crucial one to stop Brahim Diaz from giving Milan an early lead. The Cameroonian's reading of the game was exemplary too and he came off his line often to collect the ball and clear any impending danger.
His opposite number, Mike Maignan, was busier of the two, and he too impressed for an otherwise desolate AC Milan side. The 27-year-old stopped a powerful effort from Lautaro Martinez in the 39th minute and blocked Romelu Lukaku's effort late on as well.
Maignan even got a hand to Martinez's goal, but there was too much power on the shot for him to stop it. Regardless, that moment aside, the Frenchman put in a stellar showing.
#2 Lautaro Martinez loves playing in the Milan derby
Lautaro Martinez has evolved into a serious goalscoring threat for Inter Milan in recent times and one of the sides he's enjoyed playing against is AC Milan.
This year, especially, the Argentine has made it a point to find the back of the net in the Derby della Madonnina. After scoring in their Supercoppa Italiana and Serie A wins over the Rossoneri earlier this year, Martinez came back to haunt Milan once again tonight.
He produced a nonchalant but powerful finish at the near post after being played through by Romelu Lukaku. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner now has eight goals in this fixture, the joint-most he's managed against one team along with Cagliari.
AC Milan must be sick at the sight of him by now, but Inter Milan likely can't get enough of their star forward scoring against their arch-rivals.
#1 Inter Milan on the cusp of historic 'cup double'
Last year, Inter Milan did the domestic cup double by winning the Coppa Italia and the Supercopa Italiana. This year, the Nerazzurri can pull off another double, albeit one that's much bigger.
Not only are they on course to retain the Coppa Italia, having reached the finals once more, but they have a chance to win the Champions League too. Whether it's Real Madrid or Manchester City, Simone Inzaghi's side will be the underdogs in Istanbul, but it's a tag they have come to relish.
In case you have forgotten, this is a team that progressed from a group containing European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Barcelona. They have also blitzed their way through the knockout rounds on their way to a first final since their treble-winning 2009-10 season.
Inter Milan are the real deal. Don't be surprised if they pull off wins in the domestic cup and Champions League this season.