Inter Milan 1-0 AC Milan (3-0 agg): Inter reach Champions League final for first time in 13 years

Inter Milan reached the Champions League final for the first time in 13 years as Lautaro Martinez's goal sealed victory over fierce rivals AC Milan at San Siro.

Three-time winners Inter, who led 2-0 after the first leg, will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in Istanbul on 10 June after a disciplined second-leg display ensured their progress.

Heavily backed at a feverish San Siro as the designated home team, Inter were made to absorb early pressure as a determined start by Milan ensured the match began at a frenetic pace.

Theo Hernandez fired marginally over with a ferocious strike and Brahim Diaz was denied by Andre Onana as Stefano Pioli's side attempted to undo the damage done by conceding two goals inside 11 minutes last week.

The talented Rafael Leao, absent for Milan in the first leg because of a thigh injury, displayed flashes of inspiration on his return but shot agonisingly wide of the far post after driving in from the left.

Inter asserted themselves as the first half progressed and the tie would have been effectively over before the interval had it not been for Mike Maignan's stunning reaction save from Edin Dzeko's close-range header.

Inter had starved Milan of encouragement in a largely uneventful second half, before Martinez squeezed the ball under Maignan and into the bottom corner with 16 minutes remaining to send the Inter fans into raptures.

The full-time whistle was greeted by a deafening noise as Inter's first shot at Champions League glory since their 2010 success was confirmed.

Disciplined Inter handle occasion to reach final

Inzaghi was happy to accept that Tuesday's second leg represented "one of the most important games in Inter's history" and the Italian showed faith in the same 11 that arguably should have ended the tie as a contest a week earlier.

He and his players would have expected a different match - including an intense start from their historic rivals - as they returned in front of a feverish 80,000-strong San Siro crowd to play out the conclusion of the first Milan derby in European competition for 20 years.

That was exactly what they faced as seven-time winners Milan pressed for an early goal in an attempt to ignite a memorable comeback, with Diaz and Leao both going agonisingly close.

However, they had to rely on goalkeeper Maignan to keep alive their hopes at the other end of the pitch, with the alert France international also producing a superb stop to deny Nicolo Barella before seeing the offside flag raised.

But any hopes of a late fightback were extinguished by Martinez's well-taken finish and, for just the second time ever, the Inter supporters were able to enjoy a fourth win over Milan in a single season, as their side comfortably managed the closing stages.

Inter will go into the final against Real Madrid or Manchester City as underdogs, and they will require a near-perfect performance to overcome either.

But Inzaghi's side will be quietly confident of causing an upset, having not trailed in any knockout-stage match in this season's Champions League.

When is the Champions League final?

The 2023 Champions League final, featuring Inter Milan and either Manchester City or Real Madrid, will take place in Istanbul, Turkey on 10 June at 20:00 BST.

Player of the match

DzekoEdin Dzeko

Inter Milan

Squad number9Player nameDzeko

Squad number90Player nameLukaku

Squad number10Player nameLa Martínez

Squad number8Player nameGosens

Squad number2Player nameDumfries

Squad number23Player nameBarella

Squad number5Player nameGagliardini

Squad number11Player nameCorrea

Squad number95Player nameBastoni

Squad number22Player nameMkhitaryan

Squad number20Player nameÇalhanoglu

Squad number32Player nameDimarco

Squad number15Player nameAcerbi

Squad number24Player nameOnana

Squad number36Player nameDarmian

Squad number77Player nameBrozovic

AC Milan

Squad number17Player nameRafael Leão

Squad number16Player nameMaignan

Squad number9Player nameGiroud

Squad number19Player nameHernández

Squad number27Player nameOrigi

Squad number23Player nameTomori

Squad number8Player nameTonali

Squad number10Player nameDíaz

Squad number2Player nameCalabria

Squad number28Player nameThiaw

Squad number30Player nameJunior Messias

Squad number33Player nameKrunic

Squad number56Player nameSaelemaekers

Squad number20Player nameKalulu

Line-ups

Inter Milan

Formation 3-5-2

24Onana

36Darmian15Acerbi95Bastoni

2Dumfries23Barella20Çalhanoglu22Mkhitaryan32Dimarco

10La Martínez9Dzeko

Substitutes

AC Milan

Formation 4-2-3-1

16Maignan

2Calabria28Thiaw23Tomori19Hernández

33Krunic8Tonali

30Messias10Díaz17Rafael Leão

9Giroud

Substitutes

Live Text

Match ends, Inter Milan 1, AC Milan 0.

Second Half ends, Inter Milan 1, AC Milan 0.

Corner, AC Milan. Conceded by Francesco Acerbi.

Attempt missed. Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Romelu Lukaku.

Attempt saved. Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Joaquín Correa.

Foul by Theo Hernández (AC Milan).

Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Pierre Kalulu (AC Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan).

Foul by Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan).

Hakan Çalhanoglu (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Sandro Tonali (AC Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Joaquín Correa (Inter Milan).

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Delay in match because of an injury Francesco Acerbi (Inter Milan).

Substitution, Inter Milan. Roberto Gagliardini replaces Nicolò Barella.

Substitution, Inter Milan. Joaquín Correa replaces Lautaro Martínez.

Attempt blocked. Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Romelu Lukaku.

Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan) is shown the yellow card.

Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan) is shown the yellow card.

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