Lautaro Martinez’s late goal shatters Napoli’s hopes as Inter clinch their third consecutive Italian Super Cup

In a dramatic finish, Lautaro Martinez‘s late goal secured a 1-0 victory for Internazionale over 10-man Napoli in the Italian Super Cup, allowing them to clinch the trophy for the third consecutive year. The Al-Awwal Stadium in Saudi Arabia set the stage for the decisive moment, as the Argentine striker found the net in the 91st minute after sustained pressure from Inter.

During the first half, opportunities were scarce, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan missing notable chances for Simone Inzaghi’s team. Calhanoglu had a shot saved, while Mkhitaryan’s attempt went wide, keeping the score level until Martinez’s late heroics.

Martinez found the back of the net, but his goal was disallowed due to an offside decision. In contrast, Napoli struggled to register a single shot on target in the first half. Their challenge became even more daunting in the 60th minute when Giovanni Simeone received a second yellow card and was subsequently sent off for a foul on Francesco Acerbi.

In response to being reduced to 10 players, Walter Mazzarri instructed his team to adopt a defensive approach and absorb pressure, making them resilient to break down. Despite this, Inter managed to create several scoring opportunities. Marcus Thuram, left unmarked at the back post, sent a shot wide, and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini denied Marko Arnautovic’s attempt.

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It seemed that a penalty shootout might be necessary to determine the trophy’s winner, but Martinez had different plans. He capitalized on Benjamin Pavard’s low cross, smashing the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the six-yard box. This goal paved the way for Martinez to personally raise the trophy, marking Inter’s eighth Super Cup title and bringing them within one of Juventus’ record haul of nine.