Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk. UEFA Europa League Semi-Final.
ESPRIT arena.
Match report as Romelu Lukaku extended his Europa League scoring run to 10 matches; Inter set up Friday showdown with Sevilla
Tuesday 18 August 2020 07:09, UK
Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Inter Milan thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 to set up a clash with Sevilla in the Europa League final.
Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring at the ESPRIT arena in Dusseldorf, heading home Nicolo Barella's cross in the 19th minute.
Shakhtar should have been on level terms midway through the second half but Junior Moraes wasted a glorious chance moments before Danilo D'Ambrosio (64) extended Inter's lead.
Martinez (74) then added his second of the night with a fine finish before Romelu Lukaku's double (78, 83) extended his scoring run in the Europa League to 10 matches as Antonio Conte's side ran away with proceedings.
Inter face five-time Europa League winners Sevilla, who beat Manchester United on Sunday evening, in Friday's final in Cologne.
Lukaku is the first player in UEFA Cup/Europa League history to score in 10 consecutive matches via a run stretching back to November 2014 with Everton.
Lukaku and Martinez are the first duo to score 20+ goals each in a single season for Inter Milan since Adriano and Obafemi Martins in the 2004-05 campaign.
He also became the first Serie A player this season to hit 50 appearances in all competitions while the Belgian is also the first Inter player to reach the milestone in a single campaign since Samuel Eto'o (53) and Javier Zanetti (52) in 2010-11.
After a rather cagey opening, Inter made the breakthrough in the 19th minute with their first chance of the match.
The Italian side capitalised on a terrible clearance from Andriy Pyatov as Nicolo Barella's inch-perfect cross picked out Martinez, who rose to head home for his 20th goal of the season.
Inter came very close to doubling their advantage moments later but Lukaku, and then Martinez, failed to convert Ashley Young's low cross before Pyatov tipped Barella's powerful half volley over the crossbar.
Shakhtar finally showed some conviction in their attacking play towards the end of the first half with Marlos setting up the Marcos Antonio, but his right-foot half volley flew just over the crossbar.
Inter were back on the front foot at the start of the second half as Martinez, who dispossessed Davit Khocholava, saw Pyatov off his line and tried his luck from distance, but the Shakhtar keeper just gets back to tip the ball around the post.
Lukaku then went close, curling an effort just wide as he looked to pick out the bottom corner and the Italians were almost made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal.
Mykola Matvyenko produced a brilliant cross but Junior Moraes' header was straight at a grateful Samir Handanovic, who parried the ball away from goal.
It was Moraes' miss that was punished as one minute and 55 seconds later D'Ambrosio rose highest at a corner to head home Inter second before Martinez produced a clinical finish to beat Pyatov from the edge of the penalty area.
Inter then ran away with the game in th final stages as Lukaku got in on the act.
Martinez set up the former Manchester United striker for Inter's fourth before using his pace and power to round off proceedings six minutes from time with his 33rd goal of the season.
Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte: "I am very happy to say we feel very satisfied because our fans see Inter Milan reaching, firstly, a semi-final and now a final of the Europa League after ten years. Of course, we are really looking forward to provide some satisfaction to all of them, but we also know we are facing an opposition with great experience.
"They have won this tournament five times already, so we will have to prepare ourselves in the same way we have done against Shakthar.
"I have a great satisfaction to see how the team are giving everything they got with plenty of eagerness and resolution. I am satisfied also because the players do really believe in what we are doing, in what we are proposing. I think we play a very brave game."
Shakhtar boss Luis Castro: "Our progress in Europe was great until this very day. We gave the game away to our opponents. We knew Inter's pressing was very good but we couldn't do anything against it. We lost to a great team who deserved this win.
"We've had a fantastic journey until this game. Of course, we are unhappy with the result. It will make everyone remember a very sad ending of this campaign. We were not ourselves after the second goal, and the coach must always take the responsibility.
"We had some chances but Marcos Antonio and Junior Moraes didn't score, unfortunately. When Inter scored their second goal we simply collapsed. After 2-0 we made so many terrible mistakes."
An honourable mention has to to go to Martinez, but the man of the match award goes to Lukaku, who just cannot stop scoring in the Europa League.
As previously mentioned, he is first player in UEFA Cup/Europa League history to score in 10 consecutive matches via a run stretching back to November 2014 with Everton.
The former Manchester United striker now has 33 goals for the season and it's difficult to back against him making it 34 in Friday's final.
Inter Milan will face Sevilla in the Europa League final at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne on Friday - kick-off is at 8pm. The match will be held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.
