Recap: Inter won the Coppa Italia after beating Fiorentina 1-2 (Sport1)
Manchester City are considered the clear favourites to win the Champions League for the first time in their history. The English, who want to complete a historic treble after securing a domestic double, meet Inter, who in the Italian league did not impress and was a far cry from Napoli who were heading for the championship. Even in the Champions League, the Nerazzurri's strongest opponent en route to their first final since 22 was probably Barcelona, in the group stage.
However, if there is one thing that can give Italians reason for optimism that, unlike Roma in the Europa League and Fiorentina in the Conference League this time will also celebrate in the land of the boot, it is the incredible record in the finals of coach Simona Inzaghi and striker Lautaro Martinez.
The two have competed in eight finals in their lives so far and both have an extraordinary 00-2010 record, each losing in the first final.
Will he maintain the wonderful balance? Lautaro Martinez (Photo: GettyImages)
For Lautaro, the first final was for Inter three years ago. The Nerazzurri met Sevilla in the Europa League final, and as the Andalusians proved last season, which was quite weak for them, in this factory it is a completely different beast and the Spaniards won 2-3.
Shortly after Martinez won the title with Inter Milan in 2021, his first title came in a Copa America final with Argentina. The Albiceleste have lifted three trophies (including the finalissima) in the last two years, but the Copa was particularly exciting as it ended a 28-year drought for the senior team. Lautaro started the line-up in the same game and saw Angel Di Maria score a sweet 0-1 win over Brazil in Maracanã.
More in Walla!
The breakthroughs, the treatments and what does the future hold? Everything you need to know about diabetes
In association with Sanofi
Celebrated against Italy. Lautaro at the finalissima (Photo by Getty Images, Alex Pantling)
The 25-year-old Martinez's first goal in the final came in January 2022, when he temporarily equalised from the white spot in a 1-2 win over Juventus in the Italian Supercup. Four months later, against the same opponent, Lautaro lifted the Italian Cup with 2:4 at the end of extra-time when he squeezed a penalty that made it 2:2 at the end of the 90 minutes.
The year 2022 has brightened up for Martinez in the national team as well. In June, he scored in a 0-3 win over Italy in the finalissima, the meeting between the European and South American champions, when Lionel Messi found him with a measured cross pass and all he had to do was poke into Gianluigi Donnarumma's exposed net at Wembley Stadium.
He showed disappointing form at the World Cup, but ended it as champion. Martins with the trophy (Photo by Getty Images, Ian MacNicol)
The most important final of all came in December 2022 - the World Cup final. Lautaro started the tournament as the Albiceleste's leading window, but gradually lost his place in the line-up to Julián Albers. Martinez, who showed a rather disappointing performance at the World Cup, came on as a 103rd-minute substitute against France in the final, and saw his teammates win 2-4 in the penalty shootout after a crazy 3-3. Unlike the quarter-final match against the Netherlands, when he scored the decisive penalty, this time the Inter striker did not kick.
Lautaro's momentum in the finals continued into 2023, and just a month after the World Cup final, he scored in a 0-3 win over AC Milan in the Supercup held in Saudi Arabia. The biggest final for him was also his last until tonight, against Fiorentina in the cup last month. The Purples took an early lead, but a pair of Argentines set up a turnaround and 1-2 at the end. Italy ruled that Lautaro had "done Milito", just as the former striker who, like Lautaro grew up in Racing, scored twice in a 0-2 win over Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League final.
Finals are his forte. Inzaghi (Photo by Getty Images, Jonathan Moscrop)
Like Lautaro, his coach Simona Inzaghi has a wonderful record in finals. He lost his first final as Lazio manager to Juventus in the 2017 FA Cup, but revenge came cold. A few months later, the teams met in the Supercup, to which the Biancocelesti qualified, given that Juventus had won the double, and the drama was particularly great.
Ciro Immobile brought Roma closer to winning with a pair, but two late goals from Paulo Dybala, including in extra time, equalised. But then came the unknown Alessandro Murgia, who in the 93rd minute made it 2-3 for the Romans and sealed Inzaghi's first title as coach.
With Lazio, Inzaghi won the trophy in 2019 with a 0-2 win over Atalanta, with one of the goalscorers, Joaquin Correa, currently playing under him at Inter. The Italian coach lifted the Supercup with Lazio once again, beating Juventus 1-3.
Just before closing out a second season at Inter, Inzaghi already has four titles as Nerazzurri coach - two trophies and two Supercopa titles. Now he wants to add the most important title and write his name in letters of gold in the history of Italian football. Does Pep Guardiola have reason to be concerned?
- sport
- World Football
- UEFA Champions League
Tags
- Inter
- Simona Inzaghi
- Lautaro Martins