Simone Inzaghi 'always believed' Inter Milan could reach Champions League final

Italians defeated rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals to set up a clash with either Real Madrid or Manchester City

Simone Inzaghi congratulates Hakan Calhanoglu after Inter Milan's victory over AC Milan in the Champions League semi-finals. AFP

Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi said he and his players "always believed" they could reach the Champions League final following Tuesday's 3-0 aggregate victory over rivals AC Milan.

Leading 2-0 from the semi-final first leg as the away side at the San Siro, Inter returned to the stadium they share with AC as the hosts on Tuesday to secure a 1-0 win on the night, courtesy of Lautaro Martinez's 74th-minute goal.

Only a few weeks ago, Inzaghi faced criticism and was under pressure after a lacklustre run of domestic results, yet Inter have rediscovered their form – the semi-final second leg win over Milan was their eighth 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 semi-final in a derby this way is immensely satisfying. We can only praise the lads," Inzaghi told Sport Mediaset.

Inter are third in Serie A and will face Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final on May 24.

Their return to form has been built on a solid defence, keeping six clean sheets in their current winning streak and conceding only three goals.

"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," Inzaghi said.

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

Inter Milan v AC Milan player ratings

INTER MILAN RATINGS: Andre Onana 7 – Ever dependable between the sticks for Inter, dealt well with the few shots that headed his way. Held on nicely to an early strike by Brahim Diaz, which was as close as Milan got to scoring all night. Getty

Matteo Darmian 6 – Had one or two shaky moments up against the rapid Rafael Leao, but improved massively in the second period to shut out the Portuguese international. Reuters

Francesco Acerbi 8 – A proverbial wall at the back for Inter, starving Olivier Giroud of service all afternoon. A dominant performance by the veteran Italian – especially aerially. Reuters

Alessandro Bastoni 7 – Looked very solid in Inter’s back three, stepping out impressively at times to assist the hosts in their build-up play. AP

Denzel Dumfries 7 – Provided real energy down the right for the hosts, while also doing well to deny Leao space in the final third. Another solid display from the Dutchman. AP

Nicolo Barella 8 – Ran the show centrally, breaking the lines with beautiful driving runs and slick link-up play. The diminutive playmaker oozed class throughout. AP

Hakan Calhanoglu 7 – Contributed more in a defensive capacity in the first half, helping to shield his backline as Milan pushed for the opening goal. However, his free-kick prowess was also on full display again, as Edin Dzeko almost netted from one of his deliveries just before half-time. AFP

Henrikh Mkhitaryan 6 – The former Manchester United and Arsenal man got off to a bright start but was unfortunately subbed off with an injury in the first half. Reuters

Federico Dimarco 6 – A quieter game from the Milan-born full-back, whose role was far more conservative tonight. However, he remained mistake-free defensively and seldom gave the ball away. AFP

Lautaro Martinez 8 – The Argentine’s match-winning goal was well deserved, as he looked a real threat all evening. After flashing a handful of shots over Mike Maignan’s goal, he made no mistake in the second half, firing home from close range to send Inter to Istanbul. AP

Edin Dzeko 7 – Not quite as influential as his strike-partner on this occasion, but the 37-year-old very nearly opened the scoring after his headed effort forced an incredible save from Maignan. Dzeko continues to be a menace in and around the penalty box. Getty

SUBS: Marcelo Brozovic (for Mkhitaryan, 44’) 7 – Settled nicely into the Inter midfield after replacing Mkhitaryan in the first half. Worked hard for the cause and kept things neat and tidy in possession. AP

Romelu Lukaku (for Dzeko, 66’) 7 – Looked very sharp after replacing Dzeko mid-way through the second half. The Belgian forward even grabbed an assist after playing Martinez in for his winning goal. Getty

Robin Gosens (for Dimarco, 66’) 6 – Put in a solid shift as Inter looked to tighten their grip on the game in the later stages. Getty

Joaquin Correa (for Martinez, 84’) N/A – Came on for the final few minutes of the game, adding some good energy to Inter’s press as they closed out the win. Reuters

Roberto Gagliardini (for Barella, 84’) N/A – The Italian came on for fellow countryman Barella with five minutes left to play. AP

AC MILAN RATINGS: Mike Maignan 6 – Had a stellar first half, pulling off some world-class saves to deny Dzeko from close range. However, all his good work was undone in the second half, after he failed to get a strong enough hand to Martinez’s match-winning shot. Getty

Davide Calabria 5 – A tough evening for the Milan captain, who was caught out of position on several occasions. His second-half struggles seemed to perfectly encapsulate Milan’s flat display after a promising opening 30 minutes. Getty

Malick Thiaw 6 – A mixed game from the young German, who was drafted in to replace the experienced Simon Kjaer. Won a fair few duels throughout, although he did lack composure on occasions, which eventually saw him pick up a yellow card. AFP

Fikayo Tomori 7 – Much improved from the first leg, not that it helped his side a great deal in the end. The England international dealt especially well with crosses into the box and always looked to be positive on the ball. AFP

Theo Hernandez 5 – Virtually anonymous throughout, with his biggest contribution in the first half being a mistake inside his own penalty box that almost led to an Inter goal. The hugely talented wing-back had a night to forget. AP

Rade Krunic 6 – Cut a frustrated figure at times, as Inter outnumbered their cross-city rivals in the centre of the park. Another frustrating outing after his disastrous first-leg display – with the 29-year-old picking up a late yellow just for good measure. Reuters

Sandro Tonali 7 – Alongside Tomori, he was one of the few bright sparks for Milan. He almost handed his side an early lead after bursting past Darmian, getting to the byline and laying the ball on a plate to Diaz – who squandered the chance. Getty

Brahim Diaz 5 – Far too wasteful in possession, having also missed the aforementioned guilt-edged chance from Tonali’s cut-back. The former City starlet shows flashes of brilliance, but the end product was lacking on this occasion. Getty

Junior Messias 6 – Got off to a bright start, getting the better of Bastoni in a handful of early one against one duels. However, the winger tailed off badly in the second half and failed to offer his side a great deal in the final third. Reuters

Rafael Leao 6 – After missing the first leg due to injury, Milan’s star man almost got them off to the perfect start. However, his powerful first-half run into the Inter box eventually saw him drag his shot just wide. Sadly for the 23-year-old, that was as good as it got all evening. AP

Olivier Giroud 6 – A tough game up front for the Frenchman, who was largely feeding off scraps. On the odd occasion he did win aerial duels against the likes of Acerbi, his teammates weren’t able to capitalise and feed off his hold-up play. AP

SUBS: Pierre Kalulu (for Thiaw, 64’) 5 – Looked well off the pace after replacing the carded Thiaw, losing his man for Martinez’s goal. Reuters

Divock Origi (for Diaz, 76’) 6 – Came on to join Giroud up top in the Milan attack, but hardly had a touch of the ball. Reuters

Alexis Saelemaekers (for Messias, 76’) 6 – Replaced Messias for the final 10 minutes, but was equally ineffective in the final third. Reuters

"They showed strength, determination, aggression, concentration, they were wonderful," he said. "We played four derbies since January and won all four, we know Milan are the Champions of Italy and have huge quality, but the players were excellent and deserve to enjoy this evening."

Before their two semi-final victories, Inter beat Milan 3-0 to lift the Italian Supercup in January and grabbed a 1-0 win in Serie A the following month.

When asked whether he would prefer in the Champions League final to face Manchester City or Real Madrid, who play the second leg of their last-four tie on Wednesday, Inzaghi was keeping his cards close to his chest.

"It's normal that when you go to face City or Real you start underdogs, but football is always open: we met Real Madrid last year and we lost two games, but playing well. Manchester City needs no introduction: we will watch and whoever arrives will arrive."

Inzaghi said that Serie A was now the primary focus for his players, who face newly crowned champions Napoli on Sunday.

"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."

The Champions League final will be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10.