Inter Milan secures crucial first leg win at Benfica in Champions League

 

Inter Milan has put themselves in a comfortable position for the Champions League semi-final after securing a 2-0 win against the Portuguese giant at the Estadio Dragao.

Benfica would have wished for a better week to face the Serie A side after being defeated last week in their domestic league by Porto.

Benfica has been in good form this season, losing just one game before losing last week and on Tuesday night. They topped their group, starting their Champions League campaign on August 2 in the third qualifying round.

Nicolo Barella’s downward header had given the Nerazurri a priceless advantage before Romelu Lukaku doubled it with an 82nd-minute penalty.

This 2-0 win has put Inter in a strong position to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

As predicted by Inter manager, it was a tightly contested tie before Barella opened the goals account with a downward header.

 Inter needed to allow Benfica more space knowing how dangerous they can be when they gain possession, making them struggle to dictate play in front of their fans.

With a defensive masterclass produced by Inter in Lisbon,  Andre Onana denied Rafa Silva in the first-half save before Inter’s Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries made a crucial block from close range as Benfica pushed for an equalizer.

They then made the result safe through substitute Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea. The lanky striker scored from the spot after former Inter player Joao Mario handled inside the box.

Premier League referee Michael Oliver pointed to the penalty spot after watching a replay of the incident on the pitchside monitor. The replays show the ball struck the side of Mario’s head before hitting his hand.

Simone Inzaghi’s side now has the chance to will fancy their chances of finishing the job in front of their own fans in the return leg on April 19.

Written by Oladipupo Mojeed