Denzel Dumfries at the Double as Inter Milan Advance Into Supercoppa Italiana Final

03 Jan 2025 ScoreWaves Staff view

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Inter Milan, the reigning champions of the Supercoppa Italiana, have booked their place in the final of the tournament once again. Last night, they faced an in-form Atalanta side in a high-stakes game, and it was Dutch wingback Denzel Dumfries who stole the show, bagging a brace that propelled the Nerazzurri into yet another Supercoppa final.

Even before kickoff, Gian Piero Gasperini raised eyebrows by benching key players Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere, while Simone Inzaghi opted for a full-strength Inter lineup. Despite this, Atalanta's resilience shone in the first half, thanks largely to an inspired display from goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi. The 24-year-old shot-stopper delivered a masterclass in goalkeeping, starting with a sharp save to deny Lautaro Martinez early on. The young keeper then produced a breathtaking double save, thwarting Martinez once more before leaping up to parry Federico Dimarco’s powerful rebound effort.

Atalanta's attacking chances were limited, but they came close when a misjudged header by Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni gifted Giorgio Scalvini a golden opportunity. However, Scalvini’s close-range header lacked the necessary precision, allowing Yann Sommer to make a comfortable save. The first half ended with Carnesecchi keeping La Dea in contention. After the restart, Inter exerted more control, which led to a slew of chances. However, it was Dumfries who handed the Nerazzurri a well-deserved lead. In the 49th minute, the Dutch defender control the ball with his head and unleashed a bicycle kick from six yards which broke the deadlock.

In response, Gasperini brought on Lookman, Ederson and De Ketelaere. But just as Atalanta were looking dangerous, Inter scored their second goal. Dimarco’s crossfield pass missed its intended target, Mehdi Taremi, but fortuitously landed at the feet of Denzel Dumfries. Wasting no time, the Dutch wingback unleashed a thunderous first-time strike that rocketed off the crossbar and into the net, leaving Marco Carnesecchi utterly helpless. Martinez had a golden opportunity to seal the game for Inter when Dimarco set him up perfectly with only the keeper to beat. However, Carnesecchi once again came out on top, denying the Argentine with another brilliant save.

Inter nearly paid the price moments later when Ederson found the back of the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. As the match edged into added time, it was Yann Sommer’s moment to shine, producing a stunning double save to deny Berat Djimsiti and Ademola Lookman in quick succession. Following the game, Gian Piero Gasperini reflected on his team selection and the match. "We have a lot of players. We have had a very demanding run in the league and it was the right time to test players who have not played much from the start," Gasperini said. "I didn't snub the competition, we tried to win and found a very strong team. We made a few too many mistakes."

With this victory, the Nerazzurri have secured their spot in the Supercoppa Italiana final, where they await the winner of tonight's showdown between Juventus and AC Milan. The grand finale is set to take place on 5th January in Riyadh.