Inter Milan have booked their spot in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich saw them edge the German side 4-3 on aggregate. It was a night filled with passion, tension and relentless drama as both sides battled not just each other, but heavy rain and fierce winds inside a charged San Siro. The result sends Inter through to face Barcelona, reviving memories of their classic semi-final clash 15 years ago on the road to their famous treble.
The home side took control of the tie with two quick goals from Lautaro Martinez and Benjamin Pavard, which came shortly after Harry Kane had equalised the aggregate score with a crisp finish early in the second half. Kane’s goal gave Bayern hope, especially after a shaky first-half performance affected by swirling winds and silenced fans protesting high ticket prices. But that hope was short-lived.
Inter responded with fierce determination. Martinez fired home from a corner just minutes after Kane’s strike, putting Inter back in front. Then came Pavard, notching a powerful header to give Inter breathing room and spark wild celebrations across the stadium. Though Eric Dier pulled one back for Bayern with a looping header fifteen minutes from time, it wasn’t enough to overturn the deficit.
Inter’s defence had to hold firm in the final moments as Bayern pushed forward in desperation. The Bundesliga leaders came agonisingly close to forcing extra time, but goalkeeper Yann Sommer smothered a late header from Kane to keep the hosts’ Champions League dream alive.
Bayern had a strong track record at the San Siro, having won all three of their previous Champions League away games there. But injuries and missed chances haunted them on a night where even the weather seemed to conspire against them. Vincent Kompany’s men gave everything, but fell just short of their bid to lift Europe’s top prize for a seventh time.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter side now eye a potential treble, just like the one achieved under Jose Mourinho in 2010. They are three points clear in Serie A, still alive in the Italian Cup and now within two games of a return to the Champions League final. Their confidence will be boosted by playing the second leg of the semi-final against Barcelona at home, just as they did in that iconic 2010 run.
The night was a reminder of what makes Champions League football magical – grit, glory and games that never seem over until the final whistle. Inter fans, long dreaming of a return to the pinnacle of European football, now have every reason to believe.
