Inter Milan secured a crucial 2–1 victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at the San Siro on Tuesday night. The win leaves the Italian giants in a strong position as they head to Germany for the second leg, with Bayern now needing to overturn a deficit in front of their home crowd.
The match started with high intensity as both teams looked to assert their dominance early on. Bayern were the first to break the deadlock in the 25th minute. Leroy Sané unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box that took a deflection off Inter’s defender Milan Škriniar, leaving goalkeeper Samir Handanović stranded. The goal seemed to rattle Inter, but they quickly regrouped and pushed forward.
Inter Milan responded brilliantly in the 38th minute with a well-crafted goal. Lautaro Martínez, who had been involved in most of Inter’s attacking moves, leveled the score with a clinical finish after a sublime through ball from Nicolo Barella. Martínez latched onto the pass and calmly slotted the ball past Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, much to the delight of the San Siro faithful.
The game remained evenly poised for much of the second half, with both teams creating chances but failing to capitalize on them. However, Inter found their winner in the 68th minute through a moment of brilliance from Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Armenian midfielder drilled a long-range effort that caught Neuer off guard and curled into the bottom corner, giving Inter the lead for the first time in the match.
Bayern responded with a surge of pressure in the final 20 minutes, creating several dangerous chances, but Handanović was in inspired form, making a series of key saves to deny the Bavarians an equalizer. Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Müller both had attempts on goal, but Handanović’s sharp reflexes kept Bayern at bay.
Despite the pressure, Inter held firm, securing the vital 2–1 victory. The result puts them in a strong position going into the second leg at the Allianz Arena, where they will be looking to complete the job and secure a place in the semi-finals.
Speaking after the match, Inter manager Simone Inzaghi was delighted with his side’s resilience. “It was a tough match against a very strong team, but we showed character and quality. We still have a lot of work to do, but we’re confident going into the second leg,” Inzaghi said.
Bayern Munich manager, while disappointed with the result, remains hopeful his team can turn things around in the return leg. “We were unlucky in some moments, and Inter took advantage of their chances. But we have the experience to fight back, and we’ll give everything in Munich to try and qualify,” Nagelsmann said.
The stage is set for a thrilling second leg in Germany, with Bayern Munich needing at least one goal to force extra time, and Inter Milan eager to defend their lead and secure a spot in the Champions League semi-finals.
