Inter will play Real Madrid or Manchester City in the Champions League final after comfortably progressing past city rivals Milan.
Lautaro Martinez gave Simone Inzaghi’s side the lead on the night in a surprisingly low-key encounter as Inter effectively managed and built upon the two-goal advantage they had accrued from last week’s first meeting.
The Nerazzurri were two goals up from the first 11 minutes of the first leg, after quickfire goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan caught Milan cold. Inter dominated that first leg and could have won by more, but this second contest was more evenly contested.
Here are Mirror Football’s five talking points as Inter sealed their place in next month’s Champions League final in Istanbul.
Inter have real shot at glory
There was no question that Inter were deserving winners of this tie, with a rather generous route to the final also seeing them progress past Porto and Benfica. This is not a vintage Inter side – they are only third in Serie A – but they are cup specialists.
They are into the final of the Coppa Italia, a competition which they also won last season, while they have won each of the past two Italian Supercoppas.
Simone Inzaghi has built a side who struggle with the nitty gritty of challenging for league titles but who are superb in one-off cup matches, with a strong record against top teams. They are absolutely outsiders for the final, but this formula gives them a fighting chance of pulling off an upset.
Leao factor for Milan
Milan star attacker Rafael Leao was forced to sit out the first leg through injury and while his side’s defensive issues in that game were separate to the Portuguese star’s absence, they badly missed his energy and directness in attack.
The talented 24-year-old may not have been at full fitness here but his presence was obvious, his threat ensuring that Inter wing-back Denzel Dumfries was pinned back with the Dutch international almost having to double up on Leao, alongside Matteo Darmian – playing on the right-side of a three-man backline.
Once Leao sprang into life, Milan looked dangerous. He turned Darmian smartly before firing a left-footed effort narrowly wide of goal ten minutes before the break. Had he been fully fit for this tie, the Rossoneri would have fancied their chances a lot more.
Goalkeepers on top
This was a game of few clear-cut opportunities for both sides but Inter’s goalkeeper Andre Onana and shot-stopper Mike Maignan of Milan both impressed. The latter produced several impressive reflex saves, including from Edin Dzeko’s close-range header in the second half.
Onana was once again a dependable performer for Inter, often proactively coming off his line to mop up attacks and constantly showed a willingness to play out from the back. His performance will be key for his side in the final.
Inter maintain upper hand
Inter and Milan are always close rivals but this season, they are even more familiar with each other than usual. This was the fifth meeting of the campaign between the sides, with Inter winning each of the previous three meetings.
Simone Inzaghi’s side were the form team going into this encounter, having won seven matches in a row – a remarkable streak in which they had scored 21 goals and conceded just three. It included victories over Juventus, Lazio and Roma, alongside last week’s win over Milan.
By contrast, the red-and-black half of the city had won just three of the previous 16 derbies and are fifth in Serie A – they are in danger of missing out on next season’s Champions League entirely unless they enjoy a significant upturn in form in the closing games of the season.
Italian job for final
This match-up was always going to provide the first Italian side to reach the Champions League final since Juventus in 2017. That was the Bianconeri’s second final in three seasons, with both ending in defeat against Spanish opposition.
No Serie A club has landed Europe’s most prestigious prize since Jose Mourinho guided Inter to the crown against Bayern Munich in 2010. The Nerazzurri now have an opportunity for glory again, as they await the winners of Manchester City against Real Madrid.
