Lazio's Mario Gila, center, jumps for the ball during the Italian Super Cup semi-final soccer match between Lazio and Inter Milan at Al Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo)
Lazio's Mario Gila, center, jumps for the ball during the Italian Super Cup semi-final soccer match between Lazio and Inter Milan at Al Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Inter Milan is hoping a midseason trophy will catapult the team to the Serie A title.
The Nerazzurri are on track following a 3-0 win over Lazio in the semifinals on Friday.
Serie A leader Inter will face Serie A Napoli in Monday’s final.
Napoli, lying eighth in the league, beat Fiorentina on Thursday.
Marcus Thuram put Inter ahead 17 minutes in at Al-Awwal Park Stadium after Federico Dimarco used a backheel flick to set up the France forward. Then Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty kick after the break and Davide Frattesi finished off a counterattack three minutes from time.
Inter also hit the crossbar twice in a dominating performance — first by Nicolo Barella early on and then by Lautaro Martinez after Calhanoglu's penalty.
ºÃÉ«tv international Tajon Buchanan was on the Inter bench but did not see action.
The Italian Super Cup was always contested between the Serie A champion and the Italian Cup winner from the previous season but the format was changed this year to include the runners-up from those competitions — similar to the Spanish competition, which was held in the same stadium in Riyadh .
Napoli ran away with the Serie A title last season, finishing above Lazio, while Inter beat Fiorentina in the Italian Cup final.
Inter also beat Lazio 2-0 in the league last month in Rome, and won at Napoli 3-0.
