Simone Inzaghi hails an ‘extraordinary first half’ performance from Inter to beat Milan 2-0, but warns they need ‘one more push to make this dream come true’ of reaching the Champions League Final.
It could not have been a better start for the Nerazzurri in this European Derby della Madonnina, as Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored in the opening 11 minutes.
It seemed as if they would go on to score more, especially when Hakan Calhanoglu thumped the upright and Lautaro Martinez received a penalty, only to see it revoked after a VAR review.
Instead, Inter largely sat on the 2-0 lead in the second leg, which is the third time they have beaten Milan this season after one in Serie A and the 3-0 Supercoppa Italiana victory in January.
“I am very satisfied, the first half was extraordinary, we really could’ve scored more than two goals,” Inzaghi told Amazon Prime Italia.
“It was a great game, we have already gone through several rounds, so we know it’s only half-time. We will have our fans behind us in the second leg and know there is still one more push to make this dream come true.”
Inter confirmed their excellent record in defence in the Champions League with yet another clean sheet.
“The lads covered every corner of the pitch, they helped each other out and we know the job is not done yet.”
The away goals rule no longer applies, so winning 2-0 with Milan as the ‘home’ team is not as dominant a result as it would’ve been in previous years.
“In 72 hours we have a very important match in Serie A against Sassuolo. These games take a lot out of you, so clearly we need to evaluate a few players who aren’t 100 per cent fit.”