NAPLES – Italian Cup, semi-final second leg: Napoli 1-1 Inter , goals: Eriksen in the 2 ', Mertens in the 41' ( result 1-0 ).
Juventus-Napoli will be the final of the Italian Cup which will award the first Italian trophy during the cohabitation phase with the coronavirus.
Yet the game had not started well for Campania as Inter had taken the lead after playing a great half hour.
Antonio Conte's team unlocked the match thanks to a corner kick from Eriksen (the first after the resumption of Italian football).
Then the Nerazzurri dominated but missed comfortable scoring chances with Candreva and Lukaku.
These errors, together with a sensational defensive skid, cost dear to Inter as Napoli scored the qualifying goal at the end of the first half with Mertens.
The Belgian scored by two steps on assist from Insigne and became the absolute top scorer of Napoli, detaching both Hamsik and Maradona.
In the second half, Napoli played better but Inter was still very dangerous with Eriksen and Alexis Sanchez (who entered the field in place of Lautaro Martinez).
In addition to Mertens, the hero of the evening was Ospina.
The Colombian goalkeeper had started the game very badly with the duck who had given the goal to Eriksen but then he got into the chair with miracles on Candreva, Lukaku and the same Danish midfielder.
Now two coaches who have never won the Coppa Italia will compete in the final, who will be the first to triumph between Sarri and Gattuso? We will find out on Wednesday 17 June in Rome …
Napoli-Inter, Mertens becomes the top scorer of the Campania club and gives the Italian Cup final to his team.
Before the game, a minute's silence was observed to remember the coronavirus victims.
Also in Naples, as in Turin, representatives of doctors, nurses and social-health assistants were present in the middle of the field.
Inter challenge Napoli with Handanovic; Skriniar, De Vrji, Bastoni; Candreva, Barella, Brozovic, Young; Eriksen; Lukaku and Lautaro.
Napoli challenge Inter with Ospina; Di Lorenzo, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Hysaj; Elmas, Demme, Zielinski; Politano, Mertens and Insigne.
Inter took the lead in the Coppa Italia semifinal after just two minutes. Eriksen scored directly on a corner thanks also to a slight deviation from Di Lorenzo.
Eriksen's goal is the first after the restart of Italian football during the cohabitation phase with the coronavirus.
Inter close to doubling on 15 '. Candreva dribbled past Hysaj and started a big left that came out by a whisker.
For now it's a one-way game. Candreva's cross, Eriksen's bank and header with a sure blow, Lukaku's breath came out at 28 '.
Nerazzurri close to doubling at 32 '. Great header from Lukaku on Young's cross and miraculous rejection by Ospina.
At 39 ', Candreva sowed panic in the penalty area of Napoli and started a great right deflected in a corner by Ospina. Lukaku would have liked an assist in between.
In the best moment of Inter, Napoli equalized the accounts at 41 '.
Ospina gave Insigne the goal with a perfect pitch, the striker from Campania crossed in the middle for Mertens who had no difficulty scoring with an empty net.
The first half ended on the result of one by one, Inter played better for at least half an hour but then Mertens equalized the accounts on a sleep for the Nerazzurri.
The second half started with a great diagonal by Lorenzo Insigne, on an assist by Dries Mertens, who came out very little.
Milik touched the goal in the 74th minute after being hit by a clumsy postponement by Brozovic.
Alexis Sanchez touched the 2 to 1 at 77 ', the diagonal of the Chilean striker came out of a whisker.
A minute later, Eriksen kicked a free-kick with power but Ospina was good at dismissing his conclusion.
It's over, Napoli drew against Inter and qualified for the Coppa Italia final where they will challenge Juventus.
Source: Blitz Quotidiano