Inter Milan won the first classic of the Champions League semifinal

Inter defeated Milan 2-0 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, but squandered a great opportunity to have already secured a place in the final on June 10 in Istanbul.

In a great start to the match, Inter took the lead with goals from the Bosnian Edin Dzeko (8) and the Armenian Henrik Mkhitaryan (11), but failed to capture the great difference in play shown by both teams on the pitch with more goals. .

The two-goal defeat is a terrible result for Milan, who dreams of fighting for their eighth continental title, but Stefano Pioli’s team can be satisfied with arriving with some chance of seeking a comeback within a week on the same stage. , San Siro, although with Inter as the local team.

The milanistas hope that for that clash they can have the Portuguese Rafael Leao, who did not play this Wednesday due to injury.

Inter resolved the game in 11 minutes

The initial whistle gave way to a ‘Nerazzurri’ gale, in which the team coached by Simone Inzaghi could have sealed their place in the final in barely a quarter of an hour.

Far superior to its rival, Inter was also very effective against the opposite goal, since its first two chances ended in goals. In minute 8, in a shot from the corner of the Turkish Hakan Calhanoglu to the heart of the area, Dzeko beat his marker, the milanista captain Davide Calabria, and hit a left-footed volley against which the French international goalkeeper Mike Maignan could do nothing.

No time to react Milan conceded the second just three minutes later, with a shot from inside the box by Mkhitaryan, who stood before Maignan with hardly any opposition from the rival defense.

Everything was going badly for the local team, which in minute 15 was left without the Algerian Ismael Bennacer, who, injured, left his position to the Brazilian Junior Messias.

Calhanoglu could have shot his team, with a shot on the post in the 16th minute, and after half an hour a fall inside the box by Lautaro Martínez was awarded a penalty by referee Jesús Gil Manzano.

However, the Spanish judge reconsidered his decision after reviewing the VAR images, which gave some air to a Milan that in the first part barely came close to the goal defended by the Cameroonian André Onana, except for a shot from Calabria’s cue that crashed on the outside of the net (30).

After the break, Milan searched for the goal that would score them in the tie and came close to achieving it with two shots by Brahim Díaz and Junior Messias that went just wide (49 and 51), but every time Inter approached Maignan’s goal it was a chance to score, like the one Dzeko had in a one-on-one that the French goalkeeper kicked out (53).

Belgian Divock Origi’s outing onto the field improved Milan’s attack and Stefano Pioli’s team had another great opportunity to close the gap, but Sandro Tonali’s shot hit the post (63).

But the ‘rossoneri’ team lacked a last breath of fresh air to keep up the pressure in the last half hour, in which Inter defended well to maintain an advantage that brings them closer to their first Champions League final since they won the tournament in 2010 with José Mourinho on the bench.

SPORTS
with AFP