Inter on track to the Champions League final
The lead on the scoreboard meant that Inter, little by little, slowed down. But the domain was the same. It was not difficult for Inter to reach the area and Milan needed a miracle to clearly overcome lines. Dzeko and Lautaro danced to Tomori and Kjaer; while Darmian, Acerbi and Bastoni had hardly any work on defense. Because Milan was ineffective in attack without its usual lighthouse. Neither Brahim, nor Giroud, nor Saelemaekers generated anything.
In fact, Lautaro, in one of his numerous displays against the ‘rossonera’ defense, caused a penalty that the VAR ended up annulling, but that would have been the final blow for a tie that Milan did not want to give up in the second half, jumping into the more aggressive field, with less to lose.
Perhaps accompanied by a slight feeling of overconfidence from Inter, caused by the overwhelming dominance in the first half, Milan seemed to scare with a shot from Brahim and a clear chance from Messias. It was a kind of mirage, because a few minutes later Dzeko was once again left alone against Maignan, although this time he couldn’t get past the French goalkeeper.
Milan was able to get fully into the tie with a shot from Tonali that hit the post. It was not the night for the locals.
Inzaghi managed and gradually introduced pieces to maintain possession and minimize the dangers of a Milan that did not change anything with the entry of Origi or Pobega, resigned to trying to do damage from a distance or with sterile lateral crosses against a defense ‘Nerazzura’ who solved all the approaches.
The first of the two episodes that will take place at the mythical San Siro had a clear owner, an Inter that greatly tipped the scales and presented a candidacy with more than enough arguments to access the ‘Champins’ final. Milan clings to the epic and the history of its shirt to work the miracle and seal a comeback that, seen what has been seen, seems more than complicated.
— Datasheet:
0. Milan: Maignan; Calabria (Kalulu, m.82), Kjaer (Thiaw, m.59), Tomori, Theo; Tone, Krunic, Bennacer (Messiah, m.18); Brahim (Pobega, m.82), Giroud and Saelemaekers (Origi, m.59).
2. Inter: Female; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu (Gagliardini, m.78), Mkhitaryan (Brozovic, m.62), Dimarco (De Vrij, m.70); Dzeko (Lukaku, 70 m) and Lautaro (Rea, 78 m).
Goles: 0-1, m.8: Dzeko; 0-2, m.11: Mkhitaryan
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP). He showed a yellow card to Krunic (m.47), Tomori (m.64) by Milan; and to Mkhitaryan (d. 48) for Inter.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, played at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium (San Siro) in Milan (north)