Jakarta – Inter Milan secured the Coppa Italia semifinal ticket after beating Fiorentina 2-1 at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan, Thursday morning WIB. Both Nerazzurri winning goals were booked by Antonio Candreva (44 ‘) and Nicolo Barella (67), while the only Fiorentina goal was carved by defender Martin Caceres (60).
In the semifinals that play two legs, Inter will be challenged by Napoli who have already escaped first. While the other semifinals will bring Juventus against AC Milan.
Inter coach Antonio Conte chose to play Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez together from the start. He is also preparing a new recruit for Christian Eriksen to become a substitute.
The first threat came from Fiorentina Pol Lirola player who released a shot wide. Inter pressed back, but Dalbert was able to prevent Sanchez from maximizing Nicolo Barella’s pass.
After that both teams had difficulty creating opportunities. The Fiorentina defenders are able to maximize their bodies to prevent Martinez heading in a Candreva cross.
New deadlock broke before halftime through team organization and fast pass when Federico Ceccherini and goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano tried to prevent Martinez’s goal from being broken, the ball was passed to Candreva who easily directed it at goal.
Martinez had the chance to double Inter’s lead early in the second half, but his shot from a breakthrough Barella just hit the net next to the goal.
The host gets several more opportunities to increase the advantage, both from kicking Sanchez volley, kicking Martinez, and Matias Vecino’s header.
But it was Fiorentina who equalized. Starting with a corner kick, Fiorentina defender Caceres successfully beat Martinez to head the ball into the Inter goal.
Not long ago Fiorentina even had the chance to turn back ahead, when Chiesa sent an area pass to Dusan Vlahovic, but goalkeeper Samir Handanovic came out of goal on time to prevent the second goal from nesting again.
Not long after Eriksen entered the field to make his debut as an Inter player, they restored their lead. Bad strokes from the edge of the penalty box to make the ball fall into control of Barella, who continued with a horizontal volley kick into the bottom corner of the goal.
Eriksen had sent a good pass to Martinez, but the Argentine was already in an offside position. A 2-1 lead lasted until the end, and Fiorentina took its first defeat since Giuseppe Iachini took over the team from Vincenzo Montella since December.
Line-up:
Inter Milan (3-4-1-2): Samir Handanovic, Andrea Ranocchia, Alessandro Bastoni, Antonio Candreva (Victor Moses 74 ‘), Matias Vecino, Nicolo Barella, Ashley Young, Alexis Sanchez (Christian Eriksen 66’), Lautaro Martinez , Romelu Lukaku (Sebastiano Esposito 88 ‘).
Fiorentina (3-5-2): Pietro Terracciao, Nikola Milenkovic, Federico Ceccherini, Martin Caceres, Pol Lirola (Rachid Ghezzal 85 ‘), Marco Benassi, Milan Badelj (Patrick Cutrone 56’), Erick Pulgar, Dalbert, Federico Chiesa (Rachid Ghezzal 85 ‘), Marco Benassi, Milan Badelj (Patrick Cutrone 56’), Erick Pulgar, Dalbert, Federico Chiesa ( Riccardo Sottil 80 ‘), Dusan Vlahovic.