Defeating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final thanks to a double from Lautaro Martinez, Inter won the Italian Cup for the second consecutive time.
Despite conceding an early goal at the start of the match, Inter still showed the spirit of the team that reached the final of the 2023 Champions League. Striker Lautaro Martinez shone with a double to help the home team win 2-1 in the final on the evening of May 24. Inter won the Italian Cup for the ninth time, equaling AS Roma's achievement and only behind Juventus.
Striker Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring in Inter's 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the Italian Cup final at the Olimpico Stadium in Rome on the evening of May 24, 2023.
Inter and Fiorentina are the two representatives of Italian football to play two finals this season, and this is their first match. If Fiorentina also meet West Ham in the Conference League final on June 7, Inter will play Man City in the Champions League final three days later.
At the Olimpico Stadium in Rome, both teams fielded their strongest possible lineups to win the Italian Cup final, although coach Simone Inzaghi used veteran goalkeeper Samir Handanovic instead of Andre Onana. This decision was surprising as Onana is currently Inter's number one goalkeeper, while Handanovic is past his prime.
Fiorentina opened the scoring in the third minute on a counter-attack. Left midfielder Jonathan Ikone passed the ball between the legs of the Inter defenders and the back post for Nicolas Gonzalez to tap in from close range, which hit Handanovic and into the net. Vincenzo Italiano's team had a dream start, reaching both finals in the season.
However, Inter, with their superior strength, quickly took the lead thanks to a double from Lautaro Martinez. In the 29th minute, midfielder Marcelo Brozovic received the ball in the middle and had plenty of time to pass it to Martinez, who rushed into the penalty area and shot low across the corner to equalize. 1.95m tall center-back Nikola Milenkovic stood too deep and broke Fiorentina's offside trap in this situation, allowing Martinez to score the 100th goal for Inter.
The second goal was more difficult to blame on Fiorentina's defense, as Inter attacked effectively. From Nicolo Barella's cross, Martinez swooped in at lightning speed to volley past goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano for the second time.
Fiorentina missed two good chances to send the game into extra time, with striker Luka Jovic heading wide from a good position, then Arthur Cabral's shot was cleared off the goal line by Matteo Darmian.
Fiorentina will have to focus all their energy on the remaining final against West Ham, as they no longer have a target in Serie A. Inter still need more points to secure a place in the Top 4, before having a week off for the biggest match of the season at club level.
According to VNE
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