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Inter Milan’s captain, Lautaro Martínez, delivered a key performance, scoring a crucial goal and earning UEFA’s Man of the Match award. The Nerazzurri’s 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich at San Siro secured a 4-3 aggregate victory and a place in the Champions League semifinals.
MARTÍNEZ LEADS INTER PAST BAYERN
For the fifth straight match, Lautaro Martínez scored for Inter, setting up the Nerazzurri’s immediate response after trailing Bayern Munich early in the second half. With Harry Kane levelling the aggregate score for Bayern in the 52nd minute, Inter answered six minutes later when Martínez pounced on a loose ball from a corner to fire home and put his team back in control. Just moments later, Benjamin Pavard extended Inter’s advantage with a header against his former club before Eric Dier made it a nervy finish with a late equalizer. Lautaro was praised by UEFA’s technical panel for his clever movement and all-around work rate, which proved vital to Inter’s progression to the last four.
INTER’S SEASON SO FAR
This result keeps Inter’s hope alive for a historic treble, as they remain leaders in Serie A and are also in the Coppa Italia semi final. Martínez, Inter’s top scorer, now appears in double figures for both league and continental play and continues to prove decisive in crucial matches. The team’s run includes ousting a Bayern side who faced injuries and inconsistency under Vincent Kompany and have now missed out on reaching the final in their home city. Inter will now face Barcelona in the semifinals, a rematch of the classic 2009-10 tie.
LOOKING AHEAD: SEMIFINALS AND BEYOND
Inter’s next challenge is against Barcelona, who eliminated Borussia Dortmund to set up a mouthwatering semifinal clash. The first leg will be at Camp Nou, with both teams among Europe’s most in-form sides this season. In Serie A, Inter are at the top with the finish line in sight. Their upcoming domestic fixture is against Bologna, who are also fighting for European positions. For Bayern, attention now returns to the Bundesliga as they are ahead of Bayer Leverkusen by six points with 5 matches to play in the league.
Inter will face Barcelona in a blockbuster semifinal tie on 30 April and 8 May.
