Milan, Italy, Feb 5, (V7N) — Inter Milan booked their place in the semi-finals of the Italian Cup on Wednesday after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Torino.

French youngsters Ange-Yoan Bonny and Andy Diouf, both aged 22, gave Inter a commanding 2-0 lead and looked set to put the tie beyond doubt. However, Torino mounted a late challenge after Croatian striker Sandro Kulenovic scored with a towering header, setting up a tense finish.

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu opted to rest star forward Lautaro Martinez for the match, which was played in Monza as the San Siro is being prepared to host the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Friday.

Bonny opened the scoring in the 35th minute, powering an angled header past Torino goalkeeper Alberto Paleari. Inter started the second half at pace, doubling their advantage just two minutes after the restart when Diouf tapped in a cross from Marcus Thuram.

Despite Inter’s dominance in possession and passing, Torino clawed their way back into the contest when Kulenovic pulled a goal back shortly before the hour mark. The Serie A leaders were then forced to defend resolutely as Torino pressed for an equaliser.

Inter ultimately held firm with a disciplined defensive performance to secure the win and become the first team to reach the semi-finals.

Elsewhere in the competition, Atalanta host Juventus on Thursday, while Napoli face Como and Bologna take on Lazio in quarter-final ties scheduled for next week.

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