Biggest winners and losers from the Champions League semifinals
The Champions League final is set, with surprise candidates Inter Milan and perennial contenders Manchester City advancing to next month’s showpiece match in Istanbul. Below, we examine the biggest winners and losers from the semifinals.
Winner: Inter’s airtight defense
AC Milan ran into a wall in the semifinals.
Inter’s defense has looked fragile at times this season – they’ve conceded more than a goal per game in Serie A – but Simone Inzaghi’s team neutralized its bitter city rivals over 180 resolute minutes. Outside of one golden opportunity for Brahim Diaz, and a dangerous chance that Rafael Leao concocted entirely on his own, Milan didn’t fashion anything of note in the second leg.
They huffed and puffed to little avail, launching hopeful balls forward only for Francesco Acerbi<