The first Champions League finalist is confirmed. Inter Milan is returning to a European final for the second time in three seasons.

From the beginning of the campaign, Inter were pegged as favorites to go all the way. Simone Inzaghi's side has looked defensively stout, but also lethal in transitional attacks thanks to Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram up top with Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries providing width as wing backs. Conceding just one goal in the league phase, they only needed 11 goals to secure their spot in the top eight. They finished level on points with Barcelona and Arsenal, but were placed fourth based on goal differential.

They kept a staggering seven clean sheets on the road to the semifinals where they defeated Barcelona in a grueling two-legged affair. After a 3-3 draw in Spain, Inter took a two-goal lead in the second half.

Then, Barcelona scored three unanswered goals to with Raphinha scoring the third in the 87th minute. Francesco Acerbi rescued Inter Milan in the dying minutes to force extra time. Davide Frattesi won it in the 99th minute with a clever left-footed strike. One of the most memorable nights at the historic San Siro.

Here's a look at Inter's run to the UEFA Champions League final.

Inter Milan's Road to the UEFA Champions League Final

League Phase (4th Place)

  • 0-0 draw at Manchester City
  • 4-0 win vs. Crvena Zvezda
  • 1-0 win at Young Boys
  • 1-0 win vs. Arsenal
  • 1-0 win vs. RB Leipzig
  • 0-1 loss at Bayer Leverkusen
  • 1-0 win at Sparta Praha
  • 3-0 win vs. AS Monaco

Knockout Stage

Round of 16 (Advanced 4-1 on aggregate)

  • 2-0 win at Feyenoord
  • 2-1 win vs. Feyenoord

Quarterfinals (Advanced 4-3 on aggregate)

  • 2-1 win at Bayern Munich
  • 2-2 draw vs. Bayern Munich

Semifinals (Advanced 7-6 on aggregate)

  • 3-3 draw at FC Barcelona
  • 4-3 win vs. FC Barcelona

Inter advanced to the final in front of their fans at the San Siro. They'll face the winner of Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. The Ligue 1 side lead by one goal on aggregate. The final will be played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on May 31.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Milan's Road to the UEFA Champions League Final.

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