Inter dismantled long-standing rivals Milan 3-0 at the King Fahd International Stadium to lift the Supercoppa Italiana trophy for the second season running. Simone Inzaghi’s side dominated the match through and through and deservedly claimed a historic victory.
Driven by vengeance following a 3-2 Serie A defeat earlier this season, Inter opened the match ferociously. Federico Dimarco latched onto a precise pass into the box and struck it mightily with his left foot straight into the bottom right corner to open the scoring in the tenth minute. Milan failed to bounce back after falling behind, losing further ground on the Nerazzurri instead.
After experiencing a thoroughly abysmal game against Hellas Verona, Edin Dzeko returned to the scoresheet with a poaching finish. Alessandro Bastoni played a delightful pass to the Bosnian’s feet, leaving Milan goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu without a chance. It was all Inter in the remainder of the first half.
Milan had some fragile attempts to pull one back, but even their headline performer, Rafael Leao, couldn’t do anything worth mentioning. Simone Inzaghi’s men had complete control of the first-half proceedings, keeping a comfortable 2-0 cushion at halftime without breaking a sweat.
Stefano Pioli refused to make any changes during the break, but a pep talk in the dressing room saw Milan start the second half on the front foot. Ismael Bennacer first tried his luck from a long distance without putting Andre Onana to the test. Moments later, the reigning Serie A champions knocked on Inter’s door again through Leao, who failed to hit the target from a promising position.
However, barring sporadic long-range efforts, Milan failed to create a single clear-cut chance. Aware of his side’s shortcomings up top, Pioli tried to change the dynamics of the game with three substitutions midway through the second half but to no avail. Toothless in the front third, the Rossoneri quickly lost their composure, making things easy for Inter.
And while Milan had no clear idea how to make Onana sweat, Lautaro Martinez proved his world-class talent again. After scoring a winning goal against Verona at the weekend, the Argentine forward made Pierre Kalulu look silly before smashing the ball into the bottom corner with the outside of his boot to put Inter three goals ahead.
There was never a way back into this fixture for Milan after that. Pioli’s side had arguably one of their worst games this season and cannot have any complaints about the humiliating margin. But the Rossoneri cannot moan too long, as after drawing 2-2 with Lecce last weekend, they must rally their troops ahead of a tantalizing trip to Lazio next Tuesday.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |