Inter fought hard to edge out a 1-0 win over Atalanta, booking their spot in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s side had an inconsistent start to 2023, beating league leaders Napoli, Milan and Cremonese but dropping points to Monza and Empoli. Juventus’ 15-point deduction and the Rossoneri’s drop in form has allowed the Nerazzurri to climb to second in the league table, putting them in a strong spot after a sluggish start to the season.
Atalanta will be eyeing a top four finish following the penalty handed to Juventus. La Dea have not lost in their first six outings of the new year and will be keen to sneak back into the Champions League once again.
It was a cagey quarter-final clash between the two teams in black and blue. Inter looked the better of the two sides in the first half and were regularly probing into Atalanta’s final third, but were wasteful in possession and their closest chance came when a Hakan Calhanoglu shot ricocheted off the post.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side also had a clear chance to take the lead but Duvan Zapata couldn’t guide the ball home in the dying minutes of the match, letting the Milanese side off the hook.
Atalanta pushed for an equaliser but the Nerazzurri held firm, launching a few probing attempts of their own as they saw out the second half, limiting la Dea to just counter attacks.
It was a controlled and cagey win for Inzaghi’s Inter, who’ll be hoping to build this result into some momentum ahead of their upcoming Derby della Madonnina clash with rivals Milan.
The Nerazzurri will face the winner of Juventus-Lazio in their Coppa Italia semi-final.