Lautaro Martinez, the hero of Inter’s semi-final victory, discusses the World Cup motivation that propelled the Nerazzurri to the Champions League final.

Lautaro Martinez has explained how Inter used Argentina’s World Cup win as inspiration in the Champions League after reaching the final on Tuesday.

• Martinez goal sent Inter to UCL final
• Forward can add UCL to World Cup win
• Learned importance of team unity in Qatar

WHAT HAPPENED? Inter will play in the final of the 2023 Champions League after securing a 3-0 aggregate win over rivals AC Milan in the semi-finals. Martinez was the hero for the Nerazzurri, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory in the second leg, and now has the chance to add the European Cup to his collection, less than six months after winning the World Cup with Argentina. Inter’s captain says the victory in Qatar has helped him realise the importance of togetherness, which has helped inspire Inter in Europe.

WHAT THEY SAID: “Before the game, I told the guys: ‘We’ve done a great job.’ The team’s unity is the most important thing. I saw it at the World Cup,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “If the group is united and goes in the same direction, things become easier. Inter deserve to win these nights. We always work to improve and I want to give my best. After the World Cup, we knew we had another chance to reach the final and here we are. Whoever the opponent is, it will be the last game, we have arrived here and want to go as high as possible.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Inter will likely be underdogs in the final in Istanbul on June 10, with the Serie A side set to take on either holders Real Madrid or Manchester City. The two sides are currently locked at 1-1 in their semi-final tie ahead of the return at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

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• Erik ten Hag gives Manchester United a rallying cry, “The Champions League is our life,” but hints to team exhaustion following the team’s most recent away loss to West Ham.

IN THREE PHOTOS:GettyGetty Images(C)Getty Images

WHAT NEXT? Inter face a visit from newly-crowned league champions Napoli on Sunday in Serie A before turning their attentions to a Coppa Italia final against Fiorentina on Wednesday.