Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Inter Milan booked their place in the Italian Cup final after a hard-fought 1-0 win over rivals Juventus in the second leg of the semi-final. With the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw, Federico Dimarco’s first-half goal proved to be the difference on the night, with Simone Inzaghi’s side holding on to win 2-1 on aggregate.
The hosts started the match brightly, with Nicolo Barella’s clever pass finding Dimarco, who calmly slotted past the Juventus goalkeeper to give Inter the lead after just 15 minutes. The goal sparked the home side into action, and they had more of the ball for the rest of the half.
Juventus, playing without a recognized striker and with Federico Chiesa in the false nine position, struggled to create clear chances, with defender Mattia De Sciglio heading in their best opportunity before the break. The visitors improved in the second half, but Inter’s defense held firm to secure the win.
In the final, Inter will face the winner of Fiorentina and Cremonese. In the first leg, Fiorentina won 2-0 away from home. The final will take place on May 24 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Inter are trying to defend their title after winning the competition last season by beating Juventus 4-2 in the final.
Inter coach Inzaghi made the surprise decision to leave Romelu Lukaku on the bench, despite the Belgian striker having his controversial suspension overturned in the first leg. Edin Dzeko teamed up with Lautaro Martinez in attack, but it was Dimarco who scored the crucial goal for the team.