Inter Milan earned a hugely valuable victory on Tuesday in their visit to the Allianz Arena. With goals from Lautaro Martinez and Davide Frattesi, the Italians beat Bayern Munich 1-2 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Thomas Müller's temporary equalizer was not enough to stop a 'Nerazzurri' team that was able to make the most of its chances and now has the advantage for the second leg, to be played on April 16 at the Giuseppe Meazza.
A First Half Back and Forth
From the first minutes, Bayern came out determined to impose conditions. Michael Olise gave a warning with a left-footed cross that went just wide of the post, and later Harry Kane came close to opening the scoring with a header that goalkeeper Yann Sommer kept under control. The Swiss keeper also responded safely to a powerful shot from Raphael Guerreiro and, minutes later, saw Kane's shot hit the post.
Inter, who had started somewhat restrained, began to loosen up as time went on. Carlos Augusto was the first to create danger with a shot that went wide, but served as a warning. In the 38th minute, after a well-worked move down the left flank, Marcus Thuram received a low cross and, with a great trick, back-heeled the ball to Lautaro Martinez, who finished with class to make it 0-1.
That goal calmed the spirits of the Italian team, who knew how to close the spaces well until halftime. Kompany's team went to the dressing room with a bucket of cold water, but not surrendered.
Bayern React, Inter Respond
The second half started with the same intensity. Lautaro Martinez had the chance to score his second goal with a powerful shot that was blocked by young goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, who started the game due to Neuer's absence and coach Kompany's lack of confidence in Ulreich. Despite his youth, Urbig made several important interventions that kept Bayern alive for a good part of the second half.
Bayern responded with a couple of attempts from Josip Stanisic and Guerreiro. The former headed wide from Laimer's cross, and the latter shot from the edge of the box, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar. However, the German team lost momentum as the game wore on, and although they kept looking for an equalizer, they struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Everything changed with the introduction of Thomas Müller. The veteran striker quickly made his presence felt. In the 85th minute, after a team move that started with Kimmich and ended with a precise assist from Laimer, Müller popped up at the far post to equalize the match with a short shot. The stadium wildly celebrated the goal, which seemed to salvage a difficult evening.
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Frattesi Silences Allianz Arena And Now All Will Be Decided In Milan
But the joy was short-lived. Inter did not lose their composure after the equalizer and, just three minutes later, built a lethal counterattack. Carlos Augusto took advantage of a long pass to run down the left flank and, seeing Frattesi enter the box with speed, he put in a perfect low cross. The Italian midfielder only had to push the ball in to make it 1-2.
Bayern tried to react in the final minutes, throwing the team into attack, but they were unable to break through the Italian defense or beat Sommer. Inter were solid, intelligent and effective in the key moments of the match, thus achieving a very valuable victory in a complicated scenario such as the Allianz Arena.
With this victory, Simone Inzaghi's Inter have the advantage going into the second leg, where they will try to close out the tie in front of their own fans. Lautaro Martinez showed once again why he is one of the most decisive strikers in European soccer, while Frattesi earned the spotlight with a goal that could be worth a place in the semifinals.
For their part, Bayern Munich will have to improve many aspects if they want to have a real chance of coming back. Their lack of decisiveness and defensive errors cost them dearly in the first leg, and now they will have to go in search of a result in one of the most difficult stadiums in Europe.
On April 16 at the Giuseppe Meazza, both teams will play for a place in the next round. Inter have the edge, but Bayern, with all their history and talent, are not out of the running. It's going to be an exciting night in Milan.
