Inter win the Italian Cup: 2-1 against Fiorentina with a brace from Lautaro

After the Italian Super Cup, Inter also won the Italian Cup and now they can focus on the Champions League final on 10 June in Istanbul as well as trying to get one of the top four places in the league. At the Olimpico against a Fiorentina side that has the strength and skill to take the lead, Lautaro Martinez’s brace decides (in his 100th and 101st center for the Nerazzurri), now with 27 goals this season and increasingly similar to his compatriot Milito in triplet version. It’s another triumph for Inzaghi, the seventh consecutive in a final for the coach from Piacenza: if we were the super-favorite Guardiola, we’d be a little worried. Because Simone in one-off matches is a magician, a phenomenon, and his Inter doesn’t tremble, not even when he goes down. It’s a message for City: the Nerazzurri know how to suffer and fight. Anything can happen to Ataturk.

CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES

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The Italian line up the starting team, the one spared on Sunday in Turin against the grenades (the only confirmed Martinez Quarta): Cabral is up front with Nico Gonzalez, Bonaventura and Ikoné behind him. Inzaghi, in the eighth final of his career, ranks the eleven in the Cup with two significant variations, namely Handanovic in place of Onana and Brozovic for the injured Mkhitaryan; forward Dzeko still preferred to Lukaku to partner with Lautaro. The warm-up slips away with the Nerazzurri’s Curva Nord not singing in controversy over the distribution of tickets for the Champions League final decided by the club (the chants begin in the 15th minute), while the Viola Sud makes its voice heard loudly by pushing the team. The atmosphere, thanks to the beautiful pre-match show organized by the League, is that of a great event and the Viola immediately “uncorks” the match thanks to Nico Gonzalez, quick to conclude an action started by the recovery of Dodo (on a busted throw of Acerbi), orchestrated by Bonaventura and finished off by Ikoné’s cross. There is a lot of Italian in this goal: from the choice to reverse the offensive wingers than usual to the decision to use Bonaventura as an attacking midfielder, also skilled in the non-possession phase on Brozovic.

wild bull

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Inter, down in the score after less than 180 seconds, responded with a shot from an excellent position by Dzeko deflected for a corner, but felt the blow and it was clear that Fiorentina had more leg, more courage in pressing high and more confidence in dribbling. Milenkovic and Martinez Quarta always anticipate Lautaro and Dzeko, but on the first occasion in which the mechanism of the two Viola power plants doesn’t work, the Bosnian on an assist from the Argentine devours the 1-1 from an excellent position. The failed chance, however, triggers something in the Nerazzurri’s head who begin to sink more into the spaces: Dzeko is not concrete, but on the other hand Lautaro, served by a delicious through ball from Brozovic and kept in play by Milenkovic, diagonally scores 1- 1 with goal number one hundred for the Nerazzurri. Now it’s a completely different match because Inter gets excited, raises the number of engine revs, makes their quality weigh and the all-out one-on-one duels of the Italian have less impact. The rest does… the Toro variable, literally unstoppable: Barella looks for him with a great cross and the Argentine with his right foot, on the fly, strikes Terracciano again for the 2-1.

the viola tries

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In the second half Inter thought more about controlling than sinking and Viola regained their courage. The Tuscans collect corners and make themselves dangerous first with a free-kick just wide from Biraghi and then with a header from Cabral. Inzaghi understands that fresh energy is needed and changes before the hour of play, to be precise in the 58th minute: Lukaku and De Vrij in, Dzeko out (who doesn’t take it well) and Bastoni booked. Italian replies with Sottil for Ikoné and Mandragora for Castrovilli. Acerbi goes to be the scorer on the left in the three-man defense and Fiorentina, which on that side to Nico Gonzalez, raises Dodo even more. Lukaku’s physicality, often sought out by his teammates, “weighs” when he, after winning the duel with Martinez Quarta, unloads a left foot that Terracciano rejects. To buffer Inzaghi on the left wing, Gosens (out of Dimarco) was played, but Viola went… “all in” with Jovic for Amrabat and Ranieri for the fourth yellow card. The 4-2-4 of the Italian, which places the former Real alongside Cabral plus Gonzalez and Sottil wide, is a clear signal: a storm is coming for Inter. Handanovic clears Nico Gonzalez, then Biraghi’s left foot just flies over the crossbar. Inter fell back, but didn’t give up on restarting and Gosens didn’t make a great cross from Lukaku. The match becomes vibrant and it takes an excellent Handanovic to stop Jovic, served by Bonaventura, and then to block Cabral’s goring. Italiano’s men have more drive and Jovic goes back within a whisker of 2-2 with a header. Inzaghi draws Gagliardini and Correa from the bench for Calhanoglu and Lautaro: double substitution to try to contain, but the midfielder sent off after 40′ on Sunday in Naples is booed. The Nerazzurri are waiting for the end “playing” with the stopwatch and making experience count. After 5′ of added time Irrati whistles and the Inter party starts.