Dzeko inspires Inter to victory over rivals Milan to retain Italian Super Cup

Federico Dimarco and Edin Dzeko neted within the first 21 minutes to send Inter on their way before Lautaro Martinez added the third late in the second half and secured a seventh Super Cup triumph

Inter Milan retained the Italian Super Cup on Wednesday ater Edin Dzeko inspired his team to a 3-0 victory over local rivals AC Milan.

The damage was done in the opening 21 minutes in Riyadh thanks to Dzeko, who played a defence-spliting pass for Federico Dimarco’s 10th-minute opener and doubled Inter’s lead 11 minutes later.

Lautaro Martinez then added a brilliantly taken third in the 77th minute to underline Inter’s superiority on a night in which Milan simply didn’t show up.

Inter claim the Italian season’s first trophy as they did last year when they beat Juventus.

“We put in a great performance, the boys were brilliant from the first minute until the final whistle,” Dzeko told Mediaset.

“We won the Super Cup last season so we knew how great it is to win it... I’m really happy that we’re bringing home another trophy, and I hope there will be more in the future.”

Without the raucous soundtrack of a packed San Siro, Wednesday’s match in Saudi Arabia was an unusual Milan derby.

Both teams are trailing way behind Napoli in what is beginning to look like a one-team title charge but Inter appeared a class above uninspired Italian champions Milan who barely laid a glove on Simone Inzaghi’s side.

“We weren’t up to the task in the first half, we made too many mistakes and from there it was difficult to turn the match around,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli told Mediaset.

“The defeat hurts because it was a trophy we wanted to win, but the rest of the season is still there for us. We just need to get back to playing the way we know how.”

Milan continued their sluggish start to the new year and Dzeko punished them by helping Inter to a two-goal half-time lead which was more than deserved.

The 36-year-old beautifully sent Nicolo Barella scampering in behind Milan’s defence, allowing the Italy midfielder to roll a low pass which compatriot Dimarco had no problems tucking away.

Dzeko then punished sloppy Milan defending of a free-kick by charging through onto Alessandro Bastoni’s drilled long pass, cuting inside Sandro Tonali and driving home a fine strike from a tight angle.

Milan huffed and puffed in the second half but the closest they came to geting back into the game was the underwhelming Rafael Leao smashing over the bar three minutes ater the break.

And Martinez made absolutely sure Inzaghi would claim his fourth Super Cup as a coach when the Argentina forward span a bamboozled Fikayo Tomori and controlled Milan Skriniar’s long pass before tucking home a beautiful finish with the outside of his right foot.

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the Italian Super Cup. He said: “Saudi Arabia is a friendly country, which made me and the team enjoy the time we spent here. I have many friends in the Kingdom, and I appreciate this country for the amazing work in organizing such a match.”

The coach gave his reaction to his team’s performance to secure the Italian Super Cup for the second season in a row: “We were totally clear-headed, and we played the perfect match.” He said: “Now we’ve achieved our second goal for the season, ater reaching the round of sixteen in the Champions League, and for now we just want to celebrate this win.”

Speaking to the media, Inter Milan coach Pioli shared his thoughts on what is a painful loss for his team. He admited that he didn’t expect the recent decline they have seen but also said they will do everything to recover. He said: “We didn’t have a first half up to par for a match like this. We tried to get back with a good start to the second half, but then faded again.” He added: “We’re not having our best moment mentally. We have to do more and do beter.”