The business capabilities of Inter Milan, which has advanced to the UEFA Champions League final, are drawing attention.
Led by manager Simone Inzaghi, Inter secured a 4-3 victory over Barcelona after extra time in the second leg of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League (UCL) semifinals held on the 7th (Korea time) at the Stadio San Siro in Milan, Italy.
Thus, the matchup between the two teams, which ended in a 3-3 draw in the first leg, concluded with an aggregate score of 7-6 in favor of Inter. Inter returned to the final stage for the first time in two years since the 2022-2023 season.
Until the end of the first half, Inter was leading 2-0. In the 21st minute of the first half, Lautaro Martínez scored the opening goal, followed by a second goal from Hakan Çalhanoğlu in first-half stoppage time.
However, Barcelona counterattacked. In the 9th minute of the second half, Eric García scored to close the gap, and in the 15th minute, Dani Olmo equalized. In the 43rd minute of the second half, Raphinha's goal seemed to tilt the match in favor of Barcelona.
Inter did not lose focus until the end. In stoppage time of the second half, Francesco Acerbi scored a dramatic equalizer, sending the match into extra time, where Davide Frattesi scored the winning goal in the 8th minute of the first half of extra time.
Returning to the Champions League final after two years, Inter is now set to face the winner of the match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as they aim for the 'Big Ears' for the first time in 15 years since the 2009-2010 season.
The star of Inter's victory that day was goalkeeper Jan Zommer. Zommer allowed 3 goals but made an impressive 7 saves, preventing further goals for his team. Ultimately, Zommer was named Player of the Match (POTM) by the Champions League Secretariat.
Zommer maintained concentration and stability despite the heavy rain during the match. He notably saved García's header in the second half and Ramin Yamal's shot in the later stages of extra time, rescuing Inter from a crisis.
The UEFA technical observer noted, "Zommer made several instinctive saves that kept Inter Milan in the game, especially blocking decisive shots from Yamal as he led the team to the finals," explaining the reasons for his selection.
Inter sold goalkeeper André Onana to Manchester United last summer for a transfer fee of 50 million pounds (approximately 93 billion won). The player they acquired in his place was the Swiss representative Zommer. Inter paid Bayern Munich 5 million pounds (approximately 930 million won).
Concerns were high as Zommer was signed for just one-tenth of Onana’s value. Many questions arose about the decision to sell Onana, who had been a key figure in advancing to the Champions League final in the 2022-2023 season.
Despite Zommer's significant experience, it was widely believed that at his age approaching 40, he would struggle to fill Onana's void.
However, later evaluations were contrary. Onana faced criticism for frequent mistakes and unstable performances after his transfer to Manchester United. He is currently a target for release. In his first season at Manchester United, he conceded 58 goals in 38 league matches, with only 9 clean sheets. This season, he has already conceded 43 goals in 33 matches, with 9 of those being clean sheets.
In contrast, Zommer quickly secured the starting position at Inter, earning praise as the club's best acquisition. Last season, Zommer recorded 19 goals conceded in 34 Serie A matches, but he achieved 19 matches without conceding, leading Inter to the league championship.
This season, Zommer has conceded 30 goals in 31 matches. However, he has recorded 12 clean sheets, helping 2nd place Inter (74 points) chase the leading Napoli (77 points) until the end. Evaluations suggest that Inter's business acumen and foresight have stood out.
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