Inter Milan secured a spot in the Italian Super Cup final by convincingly defeating Lazio 3-0 in Friday’s match in Riyadh. Goals from Marcus Thuram and Davide Frattesi in each half, along with Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty four minutes into the second half, propelled Serie A leaders Inter past Lazio at Al-Awwal Park. Simone Inzaghi’s team, the current titleholders, is set to face Napoli in the final on Monday night at the same venue after Napoli’s 3-0 victory over Fiorentina on Thursday.
Nicolo Barella expressed his satisfaction with the performance, stating to Mediaset, “It was a great performance, we had a lot of fun out there, like we haven’t for a while.” Inzaghi, now aiming for a record-breaking fifth Super Cup win in his career, acknowledged the team’s quality, saying, “It’s taken a lot of work to reach this level of quality.”
A win for Inter on Monday would secure a third consecutive Super Cup victory, making them the second team to achieve a hat-trick after local rivals AC Milan between 1992 and 1994.
Inzaghi acknowledged the team’s focused approach, stating, “We approached the game well, the boys played really well. We’ve got to the final which is what we wanted, now we need to recover in time for the match with Napoli, which will be very difficult.”
Despite a tight title race with Juventus and upcoming Champions League commitments, Inter fielded a strong lineup against Lazio, dominating the one-sided contest. Lazio struggled to make an impact, with Inter creating numerous chances, including efforts from Barella and Lautaro Martinez hitting the bar.
The largely tepid crowd in Riyadh witnessed Napoli’s win over Fiorentina, and while the Inter vs. Lazio match had a larger audience, enthusiasm from the stands was limited. This season’s Super Cup features four teams, with the top two from the previous Serie A season and the two Italian Cup finalists participating in the tournament.
