Inzaghi hails 'immense' achievement

Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi said he never doubted that his team could reach the Champions League final as it completed a resounding 3-0 aggregate victory over city rival AC Milan on Tuesday.

A month ago, Inzaghi was under pressure after a lackluster run of results, yet his side has turned it around. The 1-0 semifinal, second-leg win over Milan was Inter's eighth victory in a row in all competitions.

"It was a dream at the start, but we always believed, we had an extraordinary run and to win the semifinal in a derby this way is immensely satisfying. We can only praise the lads," Inzaghi told Sport Mediaset.

Inter is third in Serie A and will face Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final on May 24. Its return to form has been built on a solid defense, keeping six clean sheets in its current winning streak.

"I had said a long while back we would put in a crazy effort without looking at one competition or the other, just trying to achieve our best," he said.

Inzaghi basked in the glory of his team's victory over Milan, a fourth successive win over its city rival. Milan had not suffered four defeats in a single campaign against Inter since the 1973-74 season.

"They showed strength, determination, aggression, concentration, they were wonderful," he said. "We played four derbies since January and won all four, we know Milan is the (2021-22) champion of Italy and has huge quality, but the players were excellent and deserve to enjoy this evening."

Inter faces newly crowned Serie A champion Napoli on Sunday, and Inzaghi added: "I gave the players a day off tomorrow because we haven't had it since April 1. It was deserved. We'll meet again from Thursday because we have to prepare for a league match in Naples."

Reuters