By Sedara Philip
Early goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan put Inter Milan in firm control of their Champions League semi-final with AC Milan, winning the away leg 2-0.
On a huge night for Italian football at the San Siro, Inter took command within 11 minutes as Dzeko and Mkhitaryan struck.
The hosts had suffered a big blow even before kick-off when Rafael Leao was ruled out after failing to recover from a thigh injury – and his influence was missed, with Inter full of intent and punch during a devastating first-half performance.
Inter could have led by a greater margin had VAR not controversially overturned an on-field penalty decision for a foul by Simon Kjaer on the excellent Lautaro Martinez despite there looking to be clear contact on the forward.
AC Milan improved after the break – they could not have played any worse – but only a Sandro Tonali effort which clipped the post truly tested a confident and assured Inter, who always carried a threat on the break
Inter have the advantage of playing in front of their own fans, back at the San Siro, for the semi-final second leg on Tuesday. The winners of the tie will play either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final.
