Inter 3-0 Milan: Martinez double fires Nerazzurri into Coppa Italia final

The
Argentina
international
kept
the
Nerazzurri
on
course
for
a
potential
domestic
double,
after
a
goalless
first
leg
last
month
set
up
a
winner-takes-all
clash
this
week.

With
the
Supercoppa
Italia
already
secured
against
Juventus
and
Milan
merely
two
points
ahead
with
a
game
out
of
hand,
Inter
could
yet
complete
a
clean
sweep
of
domestic
honours.

Simone
Inzaghi
claimed
a
maiden
Derby
della
Madonnina
win
with
the
result,
and
his
side
will
now
wait
to
discover
if
they
face
holders
Juventus
or
Fiorentina.

With
defeat
leaving
Stefano
Pioli
and
his
side
with
just
the
Scudetto
left
to
fight
for,
though,
the
stage
is
now
set
for
a
thrilling
conclusion
to
the
Serie
A
season
too.

The
whistle
for
kick-off
had
barely
sounded
before
Inter
struck,
Martinez
volleying
Matteo
Darmian’s
neat
cross
home
near
the
penalty
spot.

Such
an
early
goal
forced
Milan
onto
the
offensive,
with
Rafael
Leao
and
Alexis
Saelemaekers
going
closest
in
response.

Frenetic
closing
exchanges
to
the
first
half
saw
Ivan
Perisic
make
a
goal-saving
clearance
on
the
line,
before
the
Nerazzurri
scored
effectively
in
the
next
passage.

Following
Marcelo
Brozovic’s
release
in
transition,
Martinez
dinked
Joaquin
Correa’s
throughball
over
Mike
Maignan
for
a
second
to
double
the
lead
just
before
half-time,
and
it
became
a
mountain
for
Milan
to
climb.

The
Rossoneri
continued
to
rally
after
the
interval
and
critically
had
Ismael
Bennacer’s
goal
disallowed,
with
Pierre
Kalulu
ruled
offside.
From
there
the
air
went
out
of
the
game
and
when
Martinez
bowed
out
with
20
minutes
to
go,
it
felt
like
the
game
was
already
over,
even
before
Robin
Gosens
slid
home
a
third
to
seal
the
deal.

WE’RE
IN
THE
FINAL
????

Time
to
celebrate!
????
????
????#DerbyMilano
#ForzaInter
pic.twitter.com/Tkm63nrjWm

—
Inter
????????????
(@Inter_en)

April
19,
2022

What
does
it
mean?
Inter
move
towards
complete
collection

After
dethroning
Juventus’ decade-long
hold
on
Serie
A
last
term,
the
Nerazzurri
now
have
the
chance
to
take
the
Bianconeri’s
lone
remaining
honour
from
them
after
victory
over
Milan.

It
is
11
years
since
they
last
reached
the
final,
when
they
claimed
a
3-1
victory
over
Palermo
to
lift
the
trophy
–
and
Inzaghi,
a
prior
winner
in
2019
with
Lazio,
will
have
his
eyes
on
repeating
that
success,
whoever
they
face.

Martinez
continues
fast
start
streak

After
airing
his
grievances
over
discussions
about
his
future
following
victory
against
Spezia
on
Friday,
it
was
another
superb
reminder
of
the
Argentine’s
talents
at
San
Siro.

It
took
him
less
than
200
seconds
to
break
open
the
Milan
defence
–
a
speedy
return
that
extends
a
streak
that
has
seen
him
involved
in
the
last
three
Derby
della
Madonnina
goals
scored
during
the
opening
five
minutes.

Milan
wayward
once
more
in
front
of
goal

For
a
team
tucked
into
the
thick
of
a
battle
for
the
Scudetto,
it
has
been
remarkable
that
not
a
single
player
has
broken
into
double
figures
on
the
goalscorer
charts
this
season
in
Serie
A.

That
has
in
part
been
to
Milan
boasting
a
wealth
of
players
who
can
find
the
back
of
the
net
–
except,
that
prowess
deserted
them
on
Tuesday,
with
Rafael
Leao
the
only
one
of
their
squad
to
muster
more
than
one
shot
on
target.

What’s
next?

Inter
will
welcome
Roma
to
San
Siro
for
a
crucial
Serie
A
clash
on
Saturday
(April
23),
while
Milan
travel
to
the
capital
to
face
Lazio
on
Sunday
(April
24).