Inter, first finalist in the Champions League!

Inter wants to be eternal. Without room for surprise, the victory in the first leg was good enough to finish Milan in the second leg and qualify for the final of the Champions League: 1-0. Carrying out the responsibility as a group, Inzaghi’s team confirmed their presence in Istanbul after imposing themselves with authority in this tie. Lautaro Martínez scored the goal that sent an Inter that dreamed of dominating the continent back to the fore.

The thirteen year wait was well worth it. Having recaptured the competitive gene of Inter de Mourinho who became champions at the Santiago Bernabéu in 2010, one now awaits his opponent. Even the most optimistic would not have thought at the beginning of this season that they would accuse themselves in this way, much less after meeting Barcelona and Bayern in the group stage. The path of the Italian club is the most successful.

It was impossible to repeat the script from last week, because of the chaos. The clash, more tactical and reserved than before, led to the first half without much fanfare. Milan, always against the clock, tried to show courage but there was no continuity all the time. Without the spark of Brahim and the intermittent Leão, Inter hardly found themselves exposed or in danger as their neighbors lacked explosiveness.

It was a night of complicated management for referee Turpin, who was forced to endure one-on-one complaints at every sequence of the game. From a shot by Dzeko he was headed to one by Theo Hernández from distance, as if every Inter attempt was met with a response from Milan. In both cases no luck. Ruled by a lack of tactics, the game has what a derby usually has: emotions, wins and often a lot of mistakes.

The best chance was for Leão, who nullified Darmian in an aerial duel to break Acerbi. His shot, too placed, went wide. It is vitamin for Milan. Inter regretted at halftime that Mkhitaryan went off injured. In his place came Brozovic, a master of peak moments. Inzaghi’s box, almost all done, managed to bury Milan with a shot from Dzeko that Maignan avoided as best he could.

Inter’s success was based on a few things happening and the game faded due to lack of news. Milan, a bit decaffeinated, failed to string together two consecutive good plays and was sentenced to immediate life. With their neighbor rushing, Inter finished the job. Lukaku, who came on minutes earlier, quoted Lautaro as the story. The Argentine player, canchero and rebel, put the final touch with a shot at the near post: 1-0.

That was the final sentence for Milan, who were eliminated by an Inter who were superior from start to finish. The tour of Stefano Pioli’s painting deserves general applause. Simone Inzaghi’s is a timeless recognition. Istanbul awaits a team that has already succeeded, regardless of what happens against Real Madrid or City. Becoming a European champion was not in his plans at the beginning, but now he has the right to dream big.