With a 1-0 win in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, Inter Milan prevailed over arch-rivals AC Milan. The fans celebrated exuberantly – and were confident of victory.
Inter Milan beat city rivals AC Milan 1-0 in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final to reach the final of the top flight for the first time in 13 years.
Inter went into the second leg with a 2-0 lead from the first leg, in which Lautaro Martinez’s 74th-minute goal ended any hopes of a comeback for AC.
Last in CL final with Mourinho
The last time Inter reached the final of the Champions League was in 2010 under coach José Mourinho. At that time, the team beat FC Bayern München in the final to complete the triple, consisting of the Italian championship, Coppa Italia victory and Champions League victory.
This impressive success cannot be repeated this season: Inter Milan will play AC Florence in the final of the Coppa Italia, but Napoli have already won the Italian championship. The party mood among the Inter fans was, of course, unbroken after the victory against their rivals. Outside the stadium they chanted: “Istanbul! Istanbul! We’re going to Istanbul!”
The fans believe in the CL victory
Now the supporters believe in the Champions League victory more than ever.
“Now there are no limits for us, we are going to Istanbul and we will win! We believe in it!” proclaimed one enthusiastic fan.
“AC couldn’t keep up with us. Leão practically didn’t play,” was how another summed up the game from his point of view, criticising Rafael Leão, the rival’s star Portuguese attacker.
AC Milan fans were also unhappy with the performance: “AC Milan played badly, both in the first and second game,” said one frustrated supporter.
Inter face a difficult task in the final
Inter fans celebrated all over the city, including fireworks. Next they are looking forward to 10 June, the day of the Champions League final. There, either the reigning winners Real Madrid or Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will await the Milanese.
For all the Inter supporters’ certainty of victory, they will probably go into the match as underdogs in any case. On the night of the victory, of course, this prospect did not matter to Inter fans.