Sunday May 28, 2023
Inter Milan booked their place in the Champions League with a 3-2 win over Atalanta, showing strong form ahead of the upcoming final in Europe's top club competition.
The win moved Inter into second place in Serie A and came on the heels of their Coppa Italia triumph. Early goals from Romelu Lukaku and Nicol Barella, along with Lautaro Martinez's late finish, sealed the win for Inter.
They now hold an eight-point lead over fifth-placed Atalanta, effectively ending Atalanta's hopes of a top-four finish. Inter's impressive performance also means AC Milan only need to avoid defeat by Juventus to secure Champions League qualification of their own.
Romelu Lukaku, in potentially his last game for Inter, opened the scoring less than a minute into the game, rounding the keeper and calmly finding the net. Inter extended their lead in the third minute when Barella volleyed home after Marco Sportiello had denied Federico Dimarco.
Atalanta managed to pull one back just before half-time through Mario Pasalica, but Inter remained in control. Martinez sealed the victory in the 77th minute when he converted a chance created by Lukaku and Marcelo Brozovic.
The win cemented Inter's place in the Champions League and gave them confidence ahead of the final against Manchester City. Inter manager Simone Inzaghi expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance and emphasized the importance of unity and teamwork. Meanwhile, Atalanta, who sit a point ahead of Roma, saw their chances of a top-four finish disappear with a loss against Fiorentina. Roma's only remaining route to the Champions League is victory in the Europa League final against Sevilla.
In other news, Torino coach Ivan Juric has become the latest victim of racism in Serie A as he was subjected to racial abuse during his team's win over Spezia. The use of racial slurs directed at players from the Balkans and Eastern Europe has unfortunately persisted in Italian football. The match was briefly stopped by the referee due to the severity of the abuse.
