Alexis Sanchez seals Italian Super Cup for Inter Milan with 120th-minute winner against Juventus
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ByEurosport
Updated 12/01/2022 at 23:24 GMT
Italian Super Cup final, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza: Inter Milan 2 (Martínez 35' pen, Sanchez 120’) Juventus 1 (McKennie 25’)
Inter Milan's Argentine forward Joaquin Correa (Front L), Inter Milan's Italian defender Federico Dimarco (21ndL) and teammates celebrate after Inter Milan's Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez (Rear L) scored a last second winning goal
Image credit: Getty Images
Alexis Sanchez struck a 120th-minute winner as Inter beat Juventus with virtually the last kick of the game to claim their sixth Supercoppa Italiana title.
Lautaro Martinez scored from the penalty spot to cancel out Weston McKennie's opener in an action-packed first half.
After a dull second period, the game proceeded to extra-time and just when it seemed penalties were inevitable, substitute Sanchez popped up with a dramatic winner with seconds left to play, pouncing on a mistake from Alex Sandro.
Most of the drama was saved for the opening 45 minutes and it was Inter who applied all the early pressure, Lautaro scuffing a decent opening wide. The hosts also had an appeal for a penalty dismissed after a VAR check when Nicolo Barella took a tumble after a shoulder barge from Giorgio Chiellini.
Simone Inzaghi was left fuming by the decision and his pain was compounded when McKennie headed Juventus in front from Alvaro Morata's deflected cross in the 25th-minute. But when Mattia De Sciglio made a clumsy tackle on Edin Dzeko 10 minutes later, the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. Lautaro kept his cool, hammering the penalty into the top corner and leaving Mattia Perin, who was standing in for Wojciech Szczesny, with no chance.
Juventus started the second half brightly and may have edged ahead if Federico Bernardeschi was more clinical as he dragged a shot wide from inside the box. At the opposite end, Denzil Dumfries' bullet header was pushed onto the post by a fine one-handed save by Perin.
However, the pace of the game slowed as full-time closed in and a winner could not be found in 90 minutes. Chances were at a premium in extra-time although alarm bells should have been ringing in the Juventus ranks when Sanchez only just missed the target with a header.
The visitors clearly didn't heed that warning. Alex Sandro was too lackadaisical when dealing with Federico Dimarco's cross, Matteo Darmian nipped in and Sanchez finished with aplomb to send the home supporters and bench wild.
TALKING POINT - A moment to savour for Sanchez and Inter
Alexis Sanchez has been largely reduced to substitute appearances during a frustrating campaign for the 33-year-old personally, with the former Arsenal and Manchester United forward even displaying his anguish in a social media post since deleted. He has been strongly linked with a move away from Milan this month with Everton rumoured to be interested.
However, he has proved to be a useful addition for Inzaghi off the bench, and he looked particularly dangerous tonight when he was introduced with 15 minutes of normal time to play, running at tired legs and hoping to pick up scraps. Indeed, he was on his toes to pounce on Alex Sandro's mistake and strike the final blow to decide a cagey affair - a moment he will savour during a tricky spell in the blue and black of Inter.
Indeed, it was a special moment for the entire club as witnessed by the scenes at the final whistle. The Supercoppa Italiana is certainly not top of Inter's priority list but it's always nice to win a trophy and get a rare victory over one of your biggest rivals in the process. It will whet their appetite as the Nerazzurri target back-to-back Scudettos.
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Alexis Sanchez of Inter Milan celebrates after scoring their side's second goal during the Italian Supercup match between Inter and Juventus at The San Siro on January 12, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
MAN OF THE MATCH - Weston McKennie (Juventus)
Despite ending up on the losing side, the United States international was excellent throughout, not just providing a threat in attack but also helping out defensively. A tireless performance from the 23-year-old.
PLAYER RATINGS
Inter: Handanovic 7, Skriniar 8, De Vrij 7, Bastoni 7, Dumfries 7, Calhanoglu 6, Brozovic 7, Barella 7, Perisic 8, Dzeko 6, Martinez 7.. subs: Sanchez 7, Correa 6, Dimarco 6, Vidal 6.
Juventus: Perin 7, De Sciglio 6, Rugani 6, Chiellini 6, Alex Sandro 5, Bernardeschi 7, McKennie 8*, Locatelli 7, Rabiot 6, Kulusevski 6, Morata 5.. subs: Dybala 5, Arthur 5, Bentancur 5, Kean 5.
KEY MOMENTS
25' - GOAL! INTER 0-1 JUVENTUS (WESTON MCKENNIE): Juventus draw first blood! They make their spell of pressure pay! Morata stands up a cross, it takes a deflection off Skriniar and McKennie loses his marker, heading in from point-blank range.
35' - GOAL! INTER 1-1 JUVENTUS (LAUTARO MARTINEZ, PEN): A perfect penalty from Lautaro under huge pressure! He nearly bursts the back of the net, sending Perin the wrong way and finding the top corner.
49' - BERNARDESCHI... NO! A great chance for Juventus goes begging! Rabiot pulls a cross to Bernadeschi, who, from inside the box, drags his shot wide.
60' - OFF THE POST! - Calhanoglu curls a delicious cross to the back post, picking out Dumfries whose bullet header is destined for the top corner. Perin makes a fine one-handed save, pushing it onto the post and rescuing Juventus!
96' - CLOSE! - This is the best chance we've had in some time! Calhanoglu's corner finds the unmarked Sanchez... but his header is sent agonisingly wide of the far post!
120' - GOAL! INTER 2-1 JUVENTUS (ALEXIS SANCHEZ): Unbelievable scenes at San Siro! Where did that come from?! Alexis Sanchez scores what has to be the winning goal and Inter are going to claim their sixth Supercoppa Italiana! It's all a bit of a mess inside the box, Alex Sandro makes a mistake, Darmian nips in and Sanchez finishes with aplomb with seconds left on the clock!
KEY STATS
- Simone Inzaghi has become the manager to have beaten Juventus in the most finals since 1929/30: he has won each of his three finals against the Bianconeri in the Italian Super Cup.
- Alexis Sanchez has scored the latest goal in the history of the Italian Super Cup (121 minutes), overtaking Higuaín against Juventus (min. 118) in 2014.
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