Inter Milan have advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in a decade after a hard-fought goalless draw against Porto in their round of 16 second leg clash on Tuesday night. Simone Inzaghi’s side, who held a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg, put in a resolute defensive performance to hold off the Portuguese outfit at the Estádio do Dragão and book their place in the last eight. With eyes now firmly set on a deep run in the competition, Inter will be hoping this is just the start of what could be a memorable season under their new coach.
Inter Milan advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in over a decade after a goalless draw against Porto at the Estadio do Dragao. Although Porto had attempted to reverse their 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Italy, a disciplined Inter defence saw them through to the next stage. With the Portuguese side pushing hard for a goal in the closing stages, Pepe was sent off in injury time after receiving his second yellow card, reducing the home side to 10 men. Inter’s on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored the deciding goal in the first leg, came on 20 minutes after the break but did not have any significant impact. However, he did come close to scoring in the first half, blocked by Porto keeper Diogo Costa. The win means that Inter joins their city rivals, AC Milan, in the quarter-final draw, with Napoli potentially becoming the third Italian club to advance to the next stage if they win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg.
All in all, it was a tense and ultimately uneventful night in Porto, but the Italian giants will be delighted to have held firm and secured their passage to the Champions League quarter-finals. Inzaghi’s side will now await their opponents as they continue their quest for European glory. As for Porto, they can hold their heads high after a valiant effort, and will no doubt be back to try again next season. Until then, it’s onto the next round for Inter Milan, who will hope to go all the way in this year’s competition.
