three times successful Inter, who had a 2-0 lead after the first leg, advanced thanks to a composed performance in the second leg and will now play either Manchester City or Real Madrid in Istanbul on June 10.
As the designated home club, Inter was heavily favored at a frantic San Siro, but Milan’s resolute start forced Inter to absorb early pressure, setting the stage for a fast-paced contest.
As Stefano Pioli’s team attempted to repair the damage caused by giving up two goals in the span of 11 minutes the previous week, Theo Hernandez narrowly missed with a fierce shot and Brahim Diaz was stopped by Andre Onana.
Rafael Leao, a gifted player who missed Milan’s first leg due to a thigh injury, showed flashes of brilliance upon his comeback, but his agonizingly wide attempt after driving in from the left missed the far post.
As the first half went on, Inter began to establish themselves, and if it weren’t for Mike Maignan’s incredible reaction save from Edin Dzeko’s close-range header, the game would have been practically over before halftime.
With 16 minutes left, Martinez slipped the ball under Maignan and into the bottom corner to send the Inter supporters into raptures after Inter had mostly deprived Milan of motivation in the second half.
A loud roar greeted the full-time whistle as Inter’s first attempt to win the Champions League since their
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