Inter Milan are the first UEFA Champions League finalists for the 2022-23 season. Nerazzurri clinched a UCL Finals spot on Tuesday night after a 1-0 win over their cross-town rivals AC Milan in the second leg of the semifinals. This gave them a 3-0 win on aggregate.
Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the game to send Inter back to the UCL Finals for the first time since 2009-10.
Entering the game in a 2-0 hole, AC Milan attacked aggressively and had several great chances in the first half. However, Brahim Diaz couldn’t get the ball past Inter’s keeper Andre Onana with a shot from a short distance, while Rafael Leao’s curler ended up just a few inches from the post.
While many teams in Inter’s position would be satisfied with a defensive approach, Inter actually looked to finish the job in a more dominant fashion. They used the space left behind by Milan’s push forward well and ended up getting one when Martinez turned Romelo Lukaku’s penalty box assist into a goal.
“There was a lot of history in this game. I felt it; we did a great job in both games,” said Martinez. “The unity of the group [motivated us]. I experienced it at the World Cup, that’s important. If you have a united group, things are easier. We have shown that Inter deserve this moment.”
Inter will find out their opponent in the finals after the second leg between Manchester City and Real Madrid concludes. City and Real played 1-1 in their first leg.
