Inter Milan will face Bayern Munich within the quarter-finals of the Champions League after seeing off Feyenoord 2-1 on Tuesday to finish a cushty 4-1 mixture victory.
A thumping early strike from Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty on the San Siro gave Inter snug passage to the final eight, the place the Italian champions will face a blockbuster conflict with Bayern Munich.
Inter lead Serie A and there’s speak in Italy that Simone Inzaghi’s workforce have an opportunity at repeating the league, Italian Cup and Champions League treble gained by Jose Mourinho 15 years in the past.
“It is not about believing or not believing (within the treble), if you’re at Inter you play each sport to win. For those who win each match you may do nice issues,” stated Thuram.
Standing in Inter’s means subsequent month will probably be Bayern after they swept apart Bayer Leverkusen, who beat Inter through the league part.
Inzaghi is hoping that he can have his first XI accessible for what would be the largest matches of the season for Inter who’re eager to go one higher than 2023 once they misplaced the Champions League ultimate to Manchester Metropolis.
“Will probably be a sophisticated match. They’re stable and really effectively coached however we’ll go for it simply as we have now towards everybody, taking part in towards different prime groups,” stated Inzaghi.
“I hope we’ll have everybody accessible for the tie… We introduced on two gamers from the youth workforce close to the top and I instructed them that they’re going to want to present us a hand as a result of we’re a bit quick in the mean time.”
Feyenoord’s deepest run in Europe’s prime membership competitors in a long time ended with a whimper though the away facet did briefly seem like making a sport of it when Jakub Moder rattled in a penalty three minutes earlier than the break.
Inter may have simply gained by extra after lacking a clutch of excellent possibilities, with Thuram drilling an awesome alternative towards the bar moments earlier than being substituted to rapturous applause with 19 minutes remaining.
– No surprises –
The hosts had been already comfortably forward from their dominant first-leg show in Rotterdam however Thuram made positive there can be no nasty surprises within the eighth minute.
The France ahead acquired a ball from Carlos Augusto on the left flank after which charged in direction of purpose, chopping inside onto his proper foot and unleashing a ferocious shot towards which Timon Wellenreuther may do nothing to cease.
That purpose made it close to unattainable for Feyenoord, now led by former Netherlands striker Robin van Persie whose workforce confirmed keen even with 11 gamers out of motion by way of damage or suspension.
As much as Thuram’s opener, Simone Inzaghi’s 2 hundredth sport as Inter coach had been performed in close to silence bar sporadic chanting from the 5,000 away supporters, as house followers stayed silent for the primary 20 minutes in protest on the rising value of tickets for house matches.
Inzaghi, himself hit with a collection of vital absences together with Italy wing-back Federico Dimarco, additionally rested star striker Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni with an enormous match at Serie A title rivals Atalanta arising on the weekend.
It was one among Inzaghi’s regulars in Calhanoglu who gave Feyenoord a lifeline within the thirty eighth minute when he bundled into Moder at hand the Poland midfielder an opportunity to stage the scores on the night time.
Nonetheless Calhanoglu redeemed himself and despatched Inter by way of to fulfill Bayern 5 minutes after the break by confidently stroking house from the spot after what seemed like a gentle foul on Mehdi Taremi by Thomas Beelen.
“It was a doubtful penalty for my part, perhaps given too simply. It appeared to me that there wasn’t a lot contact,” Van Persie instructed reporters.
“The gamers labored very exhausting, they defended effectively at occasions. Possibly we may have executed higher in some conditions however we had been up towards a very good workforce who play high quality soccer.
“The boys did every little thing, I could not have requested any extra from them.”
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