Inter Milan have progressed to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after defeating Bayern Munich in what proved to be a thrilling tie.
The Nerazzurri came into the second leg with a narrow advantage after a dramatic late goal by Davide Fratessi gave them a 2-1 advantage in the first leg. It proved to be a thrilling encounter, and goals from Lautaro Martínez and Benjamin Pavard sent the Italian champions through to this year’s semi-finals, where they will face Barcelona.
First half: A tight contest
The opening stages of the clash were tense, and despite Bayern controlling most of the possession, the game was still very tight, with chances hard to come by.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu went close from range for the hosts just past the half-hour mark before some committed defending by Inter denied Bayern following a scramble in the box.
Despite enjoying most of the ball, Vincent Kompany’s side failed to really test Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who had a fairly relaxed first half.
Second half: A frantic affair
While the first half proved to be tense and tactical, the second half saw the game open up dramatically.
Just seven minutes after the restart, Harry Kane opened the scoring and levelled the tie with an impressive finish from the right side of the box.
However, Inter were not behind for long. Six minutes after Kane’s goal, Lautaro Martínez restored the hosts’ aggregate lead after he smashed in from close range following a corner.
The goal was the Argentinian’s 150th for Inter and saw him become the first Inter player to score in five straight Champions League games.
The pressure did not stop there, as Simone Inzaghi’s side went in search of a second goal. They would’ve doubled their lead just two minutes after Martínez’s strike if not for a remarkable block by Eric Dier. The Englishman denied Matteo Darmian, sliding in to stop the Italian’s goal-bound strike.
However, they would find their second goal from the resulting corner as Benjamin Pavard headed home his first Inter Milan goal, sending the San Siro into raptures.
Inter looked to be in control of the tie before a close-range effort from Michael Olise was turned behind for a corner by Sommer. The resulting corner was played to the edge of the box by Olise, and second-half substitute Serge Gnabry sent a cross to the back post, where Eric Dier scored from a looping header into the far corner after 76 minutes to reduce the deficit.
It was the Englishman’s first goal for Bayern and made the score 4-3 on aggregate, causing a nervy final period for the home side.
The visitors threw everything at Inter to try and send the tie to extra-time; however, the Nerazzurri’s defence remained resolute and the hosts held on til the full-time whistle.
The result means Simone Inzaghi’s side will now face Barcelona in the semi-finals.
Is the treble on the cards?
Inter Milan famously won the treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010, beating none other than Bayern Munich in the Champions League final to complete the historic achievement. After defeating the same opponents in this year’s quarter-finals, Inter still find themselves in all three domestic competitions this season.
They currently lead Serie A by three points with six games to go and are also in the Coppa Italia semi-final, where they are currently drawing with rivals AC Milan 1-1 after the first leg.
Tonight’s result shows just how committed this Inter team are, but their performances are also proving how much quality they possess both technically and tactically.
Inzaghi has already hinted that the treble, possibly even a quadruple with Inter competing in the Club World Cup this summer, is the aim this season and under his guidance, they certainly can’t be written off. Their consistent ability to win games puts them in pole position to win the Scudetto this season, and they are arguably the favourites in the Coppa Italia.
While Hansi Flick’s Barcelona present perhaps their toughest challenge this season, there is more than enough evidence to suggest that Inter could very well be on course to complete what would be a remarkable treble.
The Teams
Inter Milan: Y.Sommer, A.Bastoni (Y.Bisseck 88′), F. Acerbi, B.Pavard, F. Dimarco (C.Augusto 73′), H.Mkhitaryan, H.Çalhanoğlu, N.Barella (D.Fratessi 89′), M.Darmian, L.Martinez (M.Taremi 81′), M.Thuram
Bayern Munich: J.Urbig, J.Stanišić, M.Kim, E.Dier, K.Laimer (K.Coman 84′), J.Kimmich, L.Goretzka (A.Pavlović 83′), L.Sané (S.Gnabry 65′), T.Müller, M.Olise, H.Kane