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Dumfries scored twice to help Inter advance to Super Cup final

  • FlashFootball 2025/01/03 01:04
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A second-half double from Denzel Dumfries saw Inter Milan beat Atalanta 2-0 in Riyadh on Thursday to reach the final of the Italian Super Cup, where the Serie A champions will be seeking a fourth successive trophy.


Inter will meet the winner of Friday's second semi-final between Juventus and AC Milan in the final on Monday.


While Inter coach Simone Inzaghi fielded his strongest eleven, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, already without top scorer Mateo Retegui through injury, surprisingly left both Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere on the bench.


The first half ended goalless, thanks largely to Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, who made a fine reflex save to deny Lautaro Martínez from close range.


Carnesecchi then pulled off a double save to keep out a powerful shot from Martínez and then quickly recovered to deny Federico Dimarco from the rebound.

Atalanta went close in the first half when Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni miscued a header and Giorgio Scalvini's close-range header was headed straight at goalkeeper Yann Sommer.


After the break, Inter forced a couple of early corners and took the lead when the ball found Dumfries in the six-yard box. With his back to goal, the Dutchman controlled the ball with a header before firing an overhead kick into the net.


Gasperini responded by sending on Lookman and De Ketelaere as well as Éderson, but it was Inter who struck a second on the counter just as Atalanta were beginning to look dangerous.


Dimarco's through ball missed Mehdi Taremi but fell to Dumfries, who unleashed a fierce first-time shot that Carnesecchi could only parry onto the crossbar.

Martinez should have put Inter out of sight when he was picked out by Dimarco and had only the keeper to beat, but he was again denied by Carnesecchi.


Inter almost made them pay minutes later when Ederson found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside and it was Sommer's turn for heroics in stoppage time, making double saves from Berat Djimsiti and Lookman.


Inter deservedly overcame an Atalanta side who paid the price for their initial team selection.

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