Inter have reached the Champions League final on a noisy night in the San Siro after eliminating their local rivals Milan 3-0 on aggregate. A second-half Lautaro Martinez strike sealed the deal as the Nerazzurri deservedly progressed.
Inter could have been forgiven for sitting back and trying to protect their lead against arch rivals Milan at the San Siro, beginning the game as they did with a 2-0 lead carried over from the first leg. However, in the lively and open early stages of the game, the Nerazzurri seemed determined to force the issue and try to kill the tie by extending their lead.
Maignan impressive in goal
Dogged Milan defending and some terrific goalkeeping - at both ends, but particularly from Mike Maignan in the Rossoneri goal - kept the scoreline level on the night as the teams headed in for half time.
The biggest chance for the 'visitors' - this being the 'away' leg for Milan - fell to the impressive Rafael Leao about 10 minutes before the break, but the Portuguese forward dragged his effort narrowly wide after doing well to create space for himself. Moments later, a reflex stop from Maignan once again kept his team alive.
In the second half, things remained much the same, and substitute Romelu Lukaku proved a handful for the Milan defence. With 20 minutes left on the clock, it was the Belgian forward who combined with Lautaro Martinez before the latter smashed home the goal which seemed destined to put the tie beyond doubt.
Historic win for Inter
The final whistle was greeted with jubilation and emotion by the Inter fans and players, conscious of the gravity of what they had just achieved. The Nerazzurri reach the final by beating their city rivals for the fourth time in a row and knocking them out of the Champions League for the first time.
Inter return to the Champions League final for the fifth time in their history and the first time since 2010. They will no doubt be underdogs, regardless of whether their opponents in Istanbul will be Real Madrid or Manchester City, but they have every reason to believe in themselves after a dominant showing in this tie.
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