Denzel Dumfries was the hero for Inter Milan as his second-half brace secured a 2-0 victory over Atalanta in the Italian Super Cup semi-final in Riyadh. The Dutch wing-back’s double sends the reigning Serie A champions into the final, where they will seek a fourth consecutive Super Cup title.
Inter will face the winner of the second semi-final between Juventus and AC Milan, which takes place on Friday.
While Inter manager Simone Inzaghi fielded a strong lineup, Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini surprised many by leaving key attackers Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere on the bench, despite already missing top scorer Mateo Retegui through injury.
The first half was a tightly contested affair, with Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi proving to be a formidable obstacle. He produced a string of impressive saves, denying Lautaro Martínez from close range and then thwarting both Martínez and Federico Dimarco in quick succession.
Atalanta’s best chance of the half fell to Giorgio Scalvini, who headed straight at Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer following a poor clearance from Alessandro Bastoni.
The deadlock was broken four minutes after the restart. A corner kick eventually found its way to Dumfries in the six-yard box, and the Dutchman expertly controlled the ball with his head before firing an overhead kick into the net.
Gasperini responded by introducing Lookman, De Ketelaere, and Éderson, but it was Inter who struck again. A swift counter-attack culminated in Dimarco’s cross-field pass finding Dumfries, who unleashed a powerful shot that flew past Carnesecchi and into the net off the crossbar.
Atalanta pushed for a way back into the game, but Sommer produced a crucial double save to deny Berat Djimsiti and Lookman in stoppage time. Despite some late pressure, Inter held on for a deserved victory.
Gasperini defended his team selection, stating that he wanted to test players who hadn’t featured regularly. However, Atalanta’s lack of attacking threat in the first hour ultimately proved costly.
Inter, meanwhile, will be confident of securing another Super Cup title, with Dumfries’ impressive performance highlighting their attacking prowess.
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