With a goal in the last breath, the Argentine Lautaro Martínez crowned Inter as Italian Super Champion for the third consecutive year and for the eighth time in its history by defeating a Naples (0-1) team that was condemned by the expulsion of the Argentine Giovanni Simeone to the beginning of the second half.
Lautaro. Always Lautaro Martínez. He is the current emblem of Inter, the Nerazzurri leader who represents the functioning of a team that has not failed for a long time, exactly the same one who has been its captain. Inter arrived in Arabia as favorites and left as Super Champions. With the Argentine everything is much easier, because he always appears, he is always there to tip the balance with a key action. The last one has meant another title. Nothing new.
The final of the first Super Cup with the four-team format brought together the two best from last season and had a bitter start due to the bad news of the death of the legend 'Gigi' Riva, the Italian team's all-time top scorer. It was so sudden that there was no time to organize a minute of silence that was delayed at the beginning of the second half, marred by Saudi whistles in Riyadh's Al-Awwal Park.
The match pitted the current dominator of 'calcio', an unleashed Inter and clear favourite, against a fallen Napoli with the opportunity to relaunch itself by winning a title. A duel almost summed up in an obligation, that of Inter, against a golden opportunity, that of Naples.
The first half could not have been more even. It was noticeable that it was a final and that Naples raised the level compared to recent months. Inter has no problem playing without the ball and, despite being somewhat gray, they had the clearest chance of the game, a goal by Lautaro Martínez disallowed due to offside by Thuram.
The second part aimed to be an exact replica of the first. The intensity increased, the duel was filled with yellow cards and interruptions, but in the 60th minute the key play of the duel occurred: 'Cholito' Simeone saw two warnings in five minutes and was sent off. Inter grew and Napoli began their resistance.
The domain became undeniably 'Nerazzurro'. Inzaghi, who was also fighting to become the coach with the most Italian Super Cups (5, with this one), was gradually introducing offensive changes with the entry of Carlos Augusto, Frattesi, Arnautovic and Alexis Sánchez to sink a Naples team. who bailed waters as best he could until Lautaro imposed his law.
Those from Vesuvius played a great game, but they succumbed on the edge to the best current striker in 'calcio'.
Because the state of form that Lautaro has been in for two seasons is inevitable. It doesn't matter how many times it fails, because it always appears. This time he held on until the end, but did not fail his appointment with the goal. Inter were focused on attack and Napoli were locked in the area. Pavard reached the baseline and launched a low cross. Among the tangle of legs, only one managed to hit the ball. Lautaro celebrated, Inter became champions and Inzaghi is now historic.
Inter returned to do what they do best lately: win. It doesn't fail because Lautaro doesn't fail. He is super champion for the eighth time in his history and for the third time in a row. With Lautaro, this Inter aspires to everything.
