MILAN (ITALPRESS) – Inter strolling over Monaco and with a clear 3-0 mortgages its access to the round of 16, finishing in fourth place in the final standings – tied on points with Barcelona and Arsenal who, however, have a better goal difference -. Lautaro Martinez’s hat-trick was decisive, with Monaco never dangerous from Sommer’s sides, also due to the expulsion suffered in the first quarter of an hour of the match. In fact, it only took two minutes for Inter to create the episode that would later lead to the goal: Lautaro and Thuram duet, the Frenchman frees himself with a nice play and entering the box is knocked down by Zakaria, earning the penalty that the Argentine 10 goes to beat and materialize at the stroke of 4′. The match was immediately downhill for the Nerazzurri and would get even better on 12′, again with Thuram running behind the Monaco defense and being stopped in the open field by Mawissa, who was later sent off by Peljto. A black start for the Monegasques, with Inter taking just four more minutes to go 2-0 up, with plenty of density in the opponent’s three-quarter leading to Barella’s touch in the box for the winning right-footed shot again from Lautaro. A double for the Inter captain and easy management, of possession and result, for Inzaghi’s lineup, which until the end of the first half does not actually suffer any attack from Monaco and does not raise the pace more than necessary in search of the third goal. We go to the resumption and Inter looking more convinced in returning to the assault on the Monaco goal, with Pavard close to his first goal in the Nerazzurri after being served by Lautaro’s touch and to have kicked but finding Majecki’s rebound. Inzaghi thus making a few changes to his lineup ahead of the league derby against AC Milan, giving breathing space to Bastoni, Barella and Thuram, thus leaving Lautaro on the field, who at 67′ would even find his hat-trick, slotting into the net the tap-in that followed Mkhitaryan’s conclusion from distance, parried at first by Majecki but who then could do nothing on the Argentine. The match definitely closed and the final credits on the first phase of the Champions League, thus postponing Inter to the next draw on February 21. – Photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
