MARTINEZ FIRES ’EM INTER FINAL
INTER posted notice they will be far from fall guys in the Champions League final with a dominant show of strength against their bitter rivals Milan.
The three-time winners showed all their defensive grit, wily experience and gamesmanship as they took the early fire out of a passionate derby in the second leg at the San Siro.
The winner of tonight’s other semi, Manchester City or Real Madrid, will be heavy favourites for the final in Istanbul.
But Inter will not fear either given the way they expertly closed this game down then sprang on the break towards the end to kill off the tie with a fine finish from Lautaro Martinez.
And, after this ruthless display, they will quietly fancy their chances of doing the Treble this season.
They face Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final, having won the Supercoppa Italiana.
Milan had started much brighter than their dismal first-half performance in the first leg with three changes, including the return of Rafael Leao, adding a sense of urgency which was lacking a week ago.
And they should have had a crucial early goal when City reject Brahim Diaz was unmarked on the penalty spot with the goal at his mercy but seemed to freeze and his effort was tame.
Leao’s pace was a threat in the first half and he so nearly brought his side back into it when he flashed a shot across the face of goal.
But that effort was effectively it for disappointing AC.
Inter are supremely experienced campaigners who will prove much sterner opponents in the final than many predict and they took the heat out of the contest with some typically robust tactics, play-acting and time-wasting.
They completely controlled the second half – though defender Francesco Acerbi was lucky to escape a red card for stamping on Malick Thiaw’s foot – before Martinez broke on the left to score at the near post in the 74th minute.
As previews go, this was the ultimate dress rehearsal for the final and City or Madrid will underestimate them at their peril.