Simone Inzaghi praised Inter for their performance as a “real team” after the Nerazzurri beat Juventus to reach the Coppa Italia final.
Federico Dimarco’s strike in the first half proved the difference as Inter beat Juventus 1-0 at the San Siro on Wednesday to secure a 2-1 overall triumph in the semi-final.
The win kept Inter protected in the Cup by beating Juventus in last year’s final, and the Nerazzurri also advanced to the Champions League semi-finals, where they will face fierce rivals AC Milan.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team offered little, in stark contrast to the fiery first leg, and Inzaghi credits his team as instrumental in their triumph.
“It was a tense match from start to finish, we deserved to reach the final,” the Inter coach told Mediaset.
“We are very happy, we wanted to return to Rome (to the Olympic Stadium for the final on May 24).”
Inter outperformed Allegri’s guests in every way, with Juventus’ expected goal count of just 0.15 versus 1.19 for the Nerazzurri.
It also marked Inter’s first Cup semi-final victory over Juve in six attempts, as the Nerazzurri had advanced for the first time from 2009 to 2011 in the last four consecutive seasons.
Let’s gooooooo! #ForzaInter #InterJuventus #CoppaItaliaFrecciarossa pic.twitter.com/L4O5jw86G3
— Inter (@Inter_en) April 26, 2023
“They were very good, they had a great race tonight,” Inzaghi said of his players. “We didn’t lose a yard against a strong team, we stayed tight and united, we were a real team.
“Whoever came in played his part. I’m getting a lot of great points.”
Dimarco has been a hero to his fans by scoring his fifth goal in all competitions this season – only Ashraf Hakimi (seven in 2020/21) has scored more in the past 10 seasons among Inter defenders.
However, the Inter left-back was quick to share the praise, pointing to his teammates’ desire to fight as a driving factor in their success.
Asked what the difference is for Inter, Dimarco told Mediaset: “There are no secrets. In this group, everyone fights for the shirt and shows what he’s worth.”
“We had a great match. It was what we wanted and we got it with a good win.”