AC Milan delivered a stunning performance on Wednesday night, emphatically defeating rivals Inter Milan 3-0 in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash.
The commanding victory, sealed with a 4-1 aggregate score, propels Milan into the final and dashes Inter’s hopes of a treble this season.
The tie was finely poised after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, but Milan showed their intent early on.
It was former Real Madrid striker Luka Jović who stole the show, heading in a pinpoint Álex Jiménez cross just nine minutes before half-time to put Milan ahead on the night and on aggregate.
Jović continued his rich vein of form just four minutes into the second half, reacting quickest to flick the ball home from close range following a corner.
This marked his fourth goal in his last five appearances, a stark contrast to his scoreless run earlier in the season.
Inter struggled to find a response, with goalkeeper Mike Maignan producing a crucial save to deny Stefan de Vrij.
Any lingering hopes of a comeback were extinguished in the 85th minute when Tijjani Reijnders calmly slotted home Milan’s third, assisted by Rafael Leão.
The emphatic win provides a welcome boost for AC Milan, who currently sit ninth in Serie A and are out of the Champions League. Reaching the Coppa Italia final offers them a significant opportunity to salvage their season with silverware.
For Inter Milan, the defeat is a bitter blow. While they remain top of Serie A and are still in the Champions League semi-finals, their aspirations of achieving a treble have now been shattered.
Milan will now await the winner of the other semi-final tie between Bologna and Empoli. Bologna currently hold a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the second leg on Thursday.
