DUESSELDORF: Inter Milan are back in a European final for the first time in a decade, and the Italian team are playing like they’ve never been away.

Lautaro Martinez played chief tormentor as Inter ended their wait on Monday, demolishing Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 in the Europa League semi-finals and come closer to a first title in nine years on Monday.

Argentine striker Martinez, who scored twice, was the pinnacle of a perfect tactical display as Antonio Conte’s team set up a clash with five-time champions Sevilla, also thanks to a goal by Danilo D’Ambrosio and a Romelu Lukaku brace.

Shakhtar had their share of possession but failed to threaten a compact Inter side, who eventually completely overwhelmed their opponents.

“We reached the final by beating a very strong team, don’t get fooled by the result,” Inter coach Antonio Conte said. “We were good not allowing them to play the way they wanted.”

Since arriving last year, Conte has imposed discipline on what had been a fractious Inter squad and rebuilt it around Lukaku, who has 33 goals in his first season with the club.

Inter have endured a lean decade since winning the Champions League in 2010, but closed the gap on Juventus at the top of Serie A to just one point in Conte’s first season in charge.

Martinez and Lukaku’s prolific partnership has been the source of much of Inter’s success and they took their tally to a combined 54 for the season.

“It’s an incredible night, the kind we dreamed of. It has been a long time since I had played such a match and we have shown that Inter are ready for the big matches,” Martinez told Sky Sport Italia. “I am very happy for the team, which is playing well and growing match after match.”

Sevilla beat Manchester United 2-1 on Sunday to book their place in Friday’s showdown in Cologne.

After a slow start, Martinez put Inter on course for their 10th European final as he powered home Nicolo Barella’s cross to open the scoring on 19 minutes.

Shakhtar are one of European football’s great survivors as the Ukrainian champions continue to thrive despite not playing a match in their home city of Donetsk for six years due to a war in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists.

Luis Castro’s men had scored 14 goals in five Europa League games since dropping into the competition form the Champions League, but their talented array of Brazilian forwards barely laid a glove on a characteristically well-organised Conte defence.

Seeking their first trophy since a 2011 Coppa Italia triumph, Inter tightened their grip when D’Ambrosio headed in at the far post off an outswinging corner from Josip Brozovic in the 64th. That came less than two minutes after Shakhtar’s best chance of the game, headed from point-blank range by Junior Moraes straight at Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Martinez curled in a perfect shot in the 74th to cap a remarkable individual performance, dashing any hope of a comeback by Shakhtar.

Martinez, who before his brace had not previously scored in the competition, then turned provider releasing Lukaku on the right for the Belgian striker to make it 4-0 from inside the box.

Lukaku has now scored in 10 consecutive Europa League mat­ches and by producing another cool finish at the end of powerful run seven minutes from time, he is now one short of Ronaldo’s mark of 34 goals in one season for Inter in 1997-98.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2020