Inter Milan will head into Wednesday night’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at San Siro with a slender 2-1 advantage over Bayern Munich, following a thrilling first-leg encounter at the Allianz Arena.
Davide Frattesi’s late strike capped off a dramatic night in Bavaria and left the Nerazzurri with a valuable lead to protect on home soil.
Simone Inzaghi’s side now stand just 90 minutes away from reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the fourth time this century.
Their victory last Tuesday was a repeat of the 2010 Champions League final, a match Inter won during their legendary treble-winning campaign under Jose Mourinho.
Inter took the lead in Munich with a brilliantly executed counter-attack, only for Thomas Muller to draw Bayern level late in the second half.
However, the Nerazzurri responded with a swift counter of their own, retaking the lead in the 88th minute and showing composure to see out the match.
That crucial away win means Inter are now in pole position to book a semi-final showdown, most likely against Barcelona, ironically, the same side they beat en route to their 2010 triumph.
The result also marked Inter’s fifth consecutive Champions League victory, a feat they last achieved during their 2009-10 title-winning season.
At San Siro, the Nerazzurri have remained unbeaten in their last 14 Champions League outings, a run that now stands as the longest active streak in the competition.
Inter’s form across all competitions is formidable. A 3-1 weekend win over Cagliari extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches, and with a domestic treble still on the cards, confidence in the camp is high.
They’ll face rivals AC Milan next Wednesday in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg, but all focus is now on Bayern.
Having progressed from 21 of their previous 23 Champions League knockout ties after winning the first leg, Inter are no strangers to holding their nerve in such situations.
However, they’ll be cautious of complacency, especially after last season’s collapse against Atletico Madrid when they surrendered a first-leg lead.
For Bayern, history offers a glimmer of hope. The Bavarians have managed to overturn a first-leg deficit just once in their last eight Champions League knockout ties, though that victory came last season against Italian opposition, Lazio in the round of 16.
Incredibly, Bayern have a perfect record away to Inter, winning all four of their past visits to San Siro in European competition without conceding a single goal. It’s the longest losing streak Inter have suffered at home to a single team on the continent.
Still, Vincent Kompany faces mounting pressure. The defeat to Inter was Bayern’s first European home loss in four years, and a 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund over the weekend in Der Klassiker did little to lift spirits, despite Bayer Leverkusen dropping points.
Inter Milan Champions League form: LWWWWW
Inter Milan recent form (all competitions): WWDDWW
Bayern Munich Champions League form: WWDWWL
Bayern Munich recent form (all competitions): WDWWLD
Team News
Simone Inzaghi opted to rest key players including Marcus Thuram, Alessandro Bastoni, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the win over Cagliari to keep them fresh for the second leg.
Mehdi Taremi, back from a muscle issue, made the bench and could feature again, while Kristjan Asllani returns from suspension but will likely start among the substitutes.
Piotr Zielinski and Denzel Dumfries remain unavailable, and Inzaghi faces a decision at left wing-back, with Federico Dimarco back in full training, though Carlos Augusto has been impressive in recent outings.
For Bayern, the absence of Jamal Musiala for the rest of the season is a blow. Raphael Guerreiro may step in as a number 10, while Thomas Muller, who scored after coming off the bench in the first leg, is another option.
Jonas Urbig continues in goal, as Manuel Neuer’s recovery has been delayed until later in April.
The defensive unit is depleted with Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano, and Hiroki Ito all sidelined. Serge Gnabry is pushing for a start after scoring against Dortmund, but Leroy Sane is expected to keep his place, with Kingsley Coman also available.
Predicted Lineups
Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
Bayern Munich: Urbig; Laimer, Dier, Kim, Stanisic; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Guerreiro, Sane; Kane
