Inter Milan are safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League following a 2-1 win over Feyenoord on San Siro tonight, advancing 4-1 on aggregate.
Simone Inzaghi's men were huge favourites to progress after their routine 2-0 win in Rotterdam last week, and it was a professional performance back in Northern Italy this evening, with Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu scoring the goals that sealed another win for the Nerazzurri.
Jakub Moder did pull a goal back for Feyenoord from the penalty spot late in the first half, but hauling themselves back from a three-goal deficit was always going to be a tough ask for the Dutch giants.
The rest of the second half was played at a very slow tempo with both clubs accepting that the tie was all but over following Calhanoglu's penalty on 51 minutes, with Inter sauntering into the last eight, and a showdown with Bayern Munich, who beat Bayer Leverkusen this evening.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
For Inter and Inzaghi, a shot at redemption now looks on the cards after two disappointments in the past two Champions League campaigns.
Many at the club still hold regrets about how they fell short to Manchester City in the 2023 final, despite a very good performance, and they were left even more crestfallen last season when they failed to take numerous chances to see off Atletico Madrid in the last 16, before losing in the Spanish capital.
Now, Inter will face an inconsistent Bayern Munich side in the quarter-finals, while on the side of the draw which looks wide open, and Europe's most underrated elite-level side of the past few years will certainly see this as an excellent chance at going one step further than they did two seasons ago.
Feyenoord will be pleased with their efforts across the competition, and their supporters will remember the night they enjoyed at San Siro last month when knocking AC Milan out very fondly, while now focusing their attention on qualifying for the Champions League again next season via the league route.
INTER MILAN VS. FEYENOORD HIGHLIGHTS
8th min: Inter Milan (3) 1-0 (0) Feyenoord (Marcus Thuram)
It is a stunning opening goal by Thuram and that should be enough to see Inter into the quarter-finals! The Frenchman carries the ball a long way down the left-hand side, beating Thomas Beelen on the inside before unleashing a thunderous effort into the top corner, relieving many nerves inside San Siro.
42nd min: Inter Milan (3) 1-1 (1) Feyenoord (Jakub Moder pen.)
A clumsy challenge from Calhanoglu on Moder sees referee Ivan Kruzliak consult VAR and award a penalty, with the Pole dusting himself down and converting from 12 yards to give the visitors some slight hope here.
51st min: Inter Milan (4) 2-1 (1) Feyenoord (Hakan Calhanoglu pen.)
A very slack error from Beelen sees him have his pocket picked by Mehdi Taremi, and the Iranian goes down just inside the area with Kruzliak pointing to the spot again, but this time for the home side, with Calhanoglu stepping up and restoring the lead on the night for the Nerazzurri.
MAN OF THE MATCH - CARLOS AUGUSTO
Both goalscorers Thuram and Calhanoglu impressed this evening, but credit is due for left wing-back Carlos Augusto, who has been given the unenviable task of stepping into Federico Dimarco's shoes, but he excelled at both ends of the pitch tonight.
In a very demanding position, Augusto was up and down all evening, registered an assist, while also remaining solid defensively, proving he can step up to the plate in Dimarco's absence.
INTER MILAN VS. FEYENOORD MATCH STATS
Possession: Inter Milan 56%-44% Feyenoord
Shots: Inter Milan 12-14 Feyenoord
Shots on target: Inter Milan 5-4 Feyenoord
Corners: Inter Milan 6-3 Feyenoord
Fouls: Inter Milan 10-8 Feyenoord
BEST STATS
Hakan Calhanoglu is the first Turkish player in Champions League history to both score and assist 10+ goals in the competition, becoming the third player from his nation to score 10 Champions League goals, after Burak Yilmaz (13) and Hakan Sukur (13), setting a new personal best for goals in a single UCL campaign in the process (3).
Simone Inzaghi has become the fifth coach to reach the milestone of 200 games as Inter manager in all competitions.
WHAT NEXT?
Before facing Bayern in the quarter-finals, Inter have many important games, including a Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against rivals Milan, but coming up at the weekend is a crunch encounter with title rivals Atalanta in Bergamo, while Feyenoord go to Twente searching for three points that could close the gap between themselves and the top three.
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