Dumfries double fires Inter to Super Cup semi-final win over Atalanta

Denzel Dumfries scored twice in the second half, leading Inter Milan to a 2-0 victory over Atalanta in Riyadh on Thursday, securing a spot in the Italian Super Cup final. Inter aims to win the trophy for the fourth consecutive time.

In the final, scheduled for Monday, Inter will face the winner of the second semi-final between Juventus and AC Milan, taking place on Friday.

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi fielded his strongest lineup, while Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini opted to leave key players Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere on the bench, in addition to having top scorer Mateo Retegui unavailable due to injury.
The first half ended goalless, largely due to Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi's impressive saves, including a reflex stop against Lautaro Martinez and a double save from a powerful shot by Martinez and a follow-up from Federico Dimarco.

Atalanta had a chance to score when Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni miscleared a header, allowing Giorgio Scalvini to shoot straight at Inter's keeper, Yann Sommer.

In the second half, Inter quickly earned corner kicks and took the lead when Dumfries controlled a ball in the six-yard box and executed an overhead shot into the net.

Gasperini responded by bringing on Lookman and De Ketelaere, as well as Ederson. However, Inter struck again on a counterattack when Dumfries received a crossfield pass from Dimarco and unleashed a powerful shot that hit the crossbar and went in.
Bastoni commented on the challenge posed by Atalanta, stating, "We know how difficult it is against Atalanta; they give us few spaces. Today, Denzel's individual talent shone."

Martinez missed a golden opportunity to extend Inter's lead, failing to score against Carnesecchi. Shortly after, Ederson found the net for Atalanta, but the goal was disallowed for offside. In stoppage time, Sommer made crucial saves from Berat Djimsiti and Lookman.


Despite Martinez's missed chances, Inter deserved the win against an Atalanta team that may have suffered due to their initial lineup choices. Gasperini defended his decisions, saying, "We have many players, and it was the right time to test those who haven't played much. We didn't underestimate the competition; we faced a strong team and made too many mistakes."