Inter qualify to UCL final after defeating arch rivals 3-0 on agg
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Lautaro Martinez's goal in the 74th minute secures a finalist spot for Inter Milan as they beat their hometown rivals 1-0 on Tuesday night.
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Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, centre, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Inter Milan and AC Milan at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, May 16, 2023 (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Inter Milan claimed their first Champions League Final qualification in 13 years after a low strike effort by Argentinian star Lautaro Martinez in the 74th minute of the second half ended all hope for their hometown rivals AC Milan on Tuesday.
Inter secured ensured their chance at a fourth Champions League title as Martinez's goal gave the Nerrazuri a 3-0 lead on aggregate having previously led by two goals at the San Siro after contributions from Eden Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in last week's first leg game.
The side will now prepare for the Final scheduled for June 10 in Istanbul as Manchester City and Real Madrid face each other in a second leg to determine who faces the Simone Inzaghi side.
Inter were the designated home side at the shared San Siro stadium today and received immense support from their die-hard fans as the team tried to defend their lead from the previous leg and strike at their opponents when the opportunity presented itself.
The defending side was able to get 15 shots off during the game as their well-organized defense blocked AC Milan's paths to their goal.
The rival clash was exemplified by harsh challenges between the two sides as total fouls committed totaled to 37 which resulted in 6 yellow cards given out by referee Clement Turpin.
AC Milan started the game off strong as full-back Theo Hernandez's attempt at goal barely went over its target and another strike by Brahim Diaz was saved by Inter goalkeeper Ander Onana The two attempts which would have put the Nerrazuri in real trouble for the rest of the game.
Rafael Leao's left foot shot at goal to seal the first half went wide of goal as the Portuguese attacker showed glimpses of genius after he missed the first leg due to injury last week.
Inter pounced on their chance in the second half as a loose ball was collected by Romelo Lukaku and passed into the path of Martinez who capitalized on his opportunity with 16 minutes remaining in regular time.
The referee ended the game after three minutes of added time in which AC Milan was unable to produce any threatening attacks in what seemed to be an impossible task as time ran out.
Both Milan sides have been battling to secure a Champions League spot in their domestic league competition, the Serie A, however, both surpassed champions S.S.C. Napoli in the highest European club competition after the Rosseneri impressed in both legs to knock them out in the Quarter Finals.
Italian teams have shown a strong presence in European competition this season as a total of Italian clubs participate in the semi-finals of the top two UEFA competitions.
