Kolkata: The sight of Inter Milan fiercely defending against Bayern Munich in the closing moments of the match was not the scenario that head coach Simone Inzaghi had envisioned. His animated gestures, clapping, and calls for increased energy from his players made that clear. Nevertheless, the outcome—a 4-3 aggregate victory following a 2-2 draw in Milan—exuded a distinctly Italian essence. It also echoed Inzaghi's earlier remarks after the 1-0 triumph over Arsenal in the Champions League: “The result is all that matters,” a sentiment that resonates with Italian football culture.

To comprehend why Inter is among Europe's elite, alongside Paris St-Germain and Barcelona in pursuit of a treble, it is essential to revisit that November match. This would mark their first treble since Jose Mourinho's team accomplished it in 2010, and, reminiscent of that year, Inter will face Barcelona in the semi-finals. Notably, it was the last occasion an Italian team lifted the Champions League trophy.

Returning to the Arsenal encounter, Inzaghi opted to rest five starters on match day four, resulting in a defensive display that secured victory with just one shot on target—a penalty converted by Hakan Calhanoglu. On that occasion, Inter held 37% possession, a figure that mirrored their possession percentage on Wednesday. Interestingly, both Bayern and Inter registered six shots on target, with Inter's Matteo Darmian having a shot blocked by Eric Dier after Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig was beaten.

This scenario highlighted not only Bayern's failure to capitalize on their opportunities but also Inter's defensive resilience. They have conceded only five goals in 12 matches leading to the semi-finals and had blocked 52 shots prior to Wednesday, the highest among the quarter-finalists.

Following Benjamin Pavard's goal in the 61st minute that put Inter in the lead, Bayern unleashed eight shots. Dier's looping header in the 76th minute equalized the match at 2-2, yet Bayern could only muster half-chances despite their dominance. “We don’t give up… We were definitely on the back foot at times today, but we demonstrated once again that we can achieve great things,” stated Inter captain Lautaro Martinez in an interview with Amazon Prime.

This also signifies that Thomas Mueller's Champions League journey with Bayern will conclude at 163 matches, with only Cristiano Ronaldo (183) and Iker Casillas (177) having participated in more.

However, there were moments during the rainy, windy evening that highlighted the quality of Inter's attacking prowess. Following Kane's equalizing goal in the 52nd minute, which brought the aggregate score to 2-2, Inter executed a sequence of nine passes, moving the ball fluidly from left to right before transitioning to the center, where Martinez found Marcus Thuram, who tested Urbig. This attempt prevented the Martinez-Thuram duo from achieving their 37th goal of the season.

In the 47th minute, Thuram allowed Dier to close the gap before outpacing him in a sprint, prompting a crucial intervention from Konrad Laimer to avert potential danger. Urbig was also called into action early in the ninth minute when Thuram initiated a counter-attack, leading to a shot from Federico Dimarco.

Just two minutes after Mueller misfired a close-range shot, Inter managed to equalize. Similar to Pavard's powerful header, Martinez's goal originated from a corner kick, marking his 150th goal in 325 appearances for Inter. This achievement warranted a celebration reminiscent of Declan Rice on the LED boards. Shortly thereafter, Darmian forced another save from Urbig, showcasing Inter's capabilities.

His players are encouraged to advance, so it was not surprising to see central defender Francesco Acerbi positioned farthest from his goal in the 12th minute, or wing-back Dimarco taking on a center-forward role in the 40th minute. Nevertheless, due to the fluidity of player positions—such as ball-playing midfielders Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan adapting to central defensive roles—Inter often remains well-organized and unexposed when out of possession.

Among the semi-finalists, Inter has the lowest player salaries. Nevertheless, under Inzaghi's leadership over the past four seasons, the team has reached a Champions League final, progressed to the round of 16, and achieved further success. Following the 2022-23 season, Inzaghi faced the challenge of losing several key players yet still managed to secure the Serie A title. Inter's victory against Bayern marked the first time the German club has been defeated at home since 2021, demonstrating that they are not easily intimidated. With five Italian players in the starting lineup on Wednesday and an Italian coach at the helm, Inter is proudly representing Italy in European competitions. "We are not setting any limits for ourselves," stated Pavard.

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