The first match between Benfica and Inter was ‘Nerazzurri’. Despite the prevailing equality in a true tactical battle, the punching exemplified by Nicolò Barella and Romelu Lukaku, from a penalty, was worth its weight in gold in a duel that decided the Italian experience and trade against a stiff Portuguese team, little recognizable against altitude sickness.
Almost half a century after their only match in the European Cup, the 1965 final resolved in favor of the ‘Nerazzuro’ team of Helenio Herrera and Luis Suárez, the old rulers of European football in the 1960s faced each other. The Eagles opposed control of the ball to an Inter in the doldrums in Serie A but with a trade in the Champions League, as demonstrated in the round of 16 against the other Portuguese giant, Porto.
Given the effervescence of the Lisbon team, one of the sensations of the season, the ‘Nerazzurri’ team was accompanied by greater experience. The Italians were more direct in their approaches to the opposite goal, with less elaborate football, but Benfica generated the first chances, with a shot that was very deflected from Florentino Luis and another more dangerous one from Chiquinho. The guardians of the Lisbon engine room were successful at the start, also as arrivals.
Benfica
Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Antonio Silva, Felipe Morato, Grimaldo, Chiquinho, Florentino (Neres, min. 64), Joao Mario, Rafa Silva, Fredrik Aursnes and Gonzalo Ramos.
0
–
2
Inter
Onana, Dumfries (D’Ambrosio, 87 minutes), Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni (De Vrij, 92 minutes), Dimarco (Gosens, 63 minutes), Brozovic, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Lautaro Martinez (Correa, 63 minutes). ) and Dzeko (Luke, min. 63).
Goals:
0-1: min. 51, Barella. 0-2: min. 82, Lukaku.Referee:
Michael Oliver (England). He booked Antonio Silva, Brozovic and Dzeko.Incidences:
First leg of the Champions League quarterfinals played in Da Luz.
Opposite, Inter risked the minimum, aware of the convenience of the match at home. He opposed a controlled football and a long shot from Acerbi as the best option. Tactical battle with few chances, the result of the high stakes for two European champions who have accumulated up to now 33 and 13 years without sneaking into the top four on the Old Continent.
All the tranquility that prevailed in the first part was dynamited by the electric beginning of the second. Bastoni put it to music from far away and Barella finished off the head with great delicacy. An important blow given the closeness of the match, but a good reaction from Benfica, who had a quick draw avoided by Dumfries under the sticks.
However, with the advantage, Inter was already at ease looking for the counters from the withdrawal. Dumfries was able to put the tie on track after another great delivery from Bastoni, but ran into the reflexes of Vlachodimos, who however could not do anything shortly after before Lukaku’s kick from a penalty, caused by one of those modern hands of Joao Mario. Benfica was not that team so far undefeated in the Champions League, the closeness of the semifinal weighed too heavily on them, and they more than paid for it before the interista trade.
