The primary leg of the Champions League quarterfinal conflict between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan was a extremely intense contest, with the Serie A champions rising victorious over the Bundesliga leaders in Munich.
Lautaro Martinez struck first for the guests within the thirty eighth minute, and although it appeared the Bavarians would search a late winner when Bayern legend Thomas Muller stepped off the bench and equalized within the eighty fifth, they had been severely shaken once more when Inter substitute Davide Frattesi set the ultimate rating three minutes later.
Groups
Each coaches needed to cope with vital numbers of gamers lacking by means of damage or suspension.
Bayern boss Vincent Kompany was with out the companies of goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer, defenders Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, Tarek Buchmann and Hiroki Ito, midfielders Jamal Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlovic, in addition to winger Kingsley Coman.
In Neuer’s absence, Jonas Urbig stood between the posts. Kim Min-jae paired up with Eric Dier within the coronary heart of defence, with Konrad Laimer on the best and Josip Stanisic on the left. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich had been in the midst of the park, with Raphael Guerreiro in a extra superior position. Michael Olise attacked from the best flank, Leroy Sane from the left, and Harry Kane led the road.
As for Simone Inzaghi within the away dugout, defender Denzel Dumfries, midfielders Kristjan Asllani, Piotr Zielinski and Valentin Carboni, in addition to striker Mehdi Taremi, had been out.
Former Bayern man Yann Sommer was in aim, shielded by the again three of Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard. Hakan Calhanoglu anchored the midfield, with Nicolo Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in box-to-box position, and the pair of Mateo Darmian and Carlos Augusto extensive on the flanks. In assault, captain Lautaro Martinez was expectedly joined by Marcus Thuram.
Match recap
The opening levels had been cagey as either side cautiously felt one another out, but it surely was Michael Olise who sparked the primary actual second of hazard, forcing a fingertip save from Yann Sommer after slicing in from the best. Inter steadily grew into the competition, but had been unable to take advantage of a few promising forays into the Bayern field.
The primary shot on track got here through a well-known supply in Harry Kane, although he didn’t make correct contact with Olise’s floated cross, permitting Sommer to assemble with ease. Guerreiro then spurned the clearest alternative of the half, discovered by one other incisive Olise go, however once more the Inter goalkeeper was as much as the duty.
Bayern’s missed probabilities would show expensive, as Thuram’s intelligent flick simply earlier than the break teed up Lautaro Martinez, who produced a elegant end from the sting of the realm to interrupt the impasse.
Bayern managed possession once more after the interval, however Inter – now with a result in shield – sat deeper and proved far more durable to interrupt down. The hosts got a scare when solely a last-ditch Goretzka sort out denied Martinez a second following a quickly-taken free kick, underlining Inter’s ruthlessness in transition.
Regardless of dictating the tempo, Bayern struggled to carve out clear openings, prompting coach Kompany to roll the cube with a triple substitution. Muller, Serge Gnabry and Sacha Boey had been all launched with slightly below 20 minutes remaining. The transfer paid off when Muller, the skilled poacher, popped up on the far submit to faucet in a Laimer cut-back and stage the rating.
Nevertheless, Inter would have the ultimate say. In basic counter-attacking trend, Augusto burst down the left and squared for Frattesi, who smashed dwelling into an empty internet to present the Nerazzurri a slender however valuable first-leg lead.
World-class Lautaro
Whereas Bayern unsurprisingly loved extra possession and fired extra photographs than Inter, leaving an general impression of narrowly being the higher facet on this match, Lautaro Martinez repeatedly lifted Inter stage and proved his undoubtable high quality over and over.
The Argentinian ahead labored extraordinarily arduous, serving to his staff to defend, protecting the ball underneath robust stress from a number of opponents in the midst of the park on a number of event, creating lots for his teammates, and getting himself on the scoresheet first with fantastically taken aim. He was concerned within the profitable aim as nicely, being the one who launched Augusto down the left within the first place.
The 27-year-old appeared on the point of leaving the membership just a few years in the past, however now, in his prime, his contract with the Nerazzurri runs till the summer season of 2029, and there will be little question about his place among the many biggest names of this membership. We’ve seen his greatness already, and there’s absolutely extra to come back.
Actual-deal Olise
Alternatively, the chance Bayern took once they forked out greater than €50 million to signal Olise from Crystal Palace final 12 months appears to be paying off. The 23-year-old winger now has 13 targets and 16 assists in 43 matches throughout all competitions this season to his title.
If there was a participant continually gave the steady Inter defence hassle on this sport, who at all times seemed able to making one thing particular to occur, it was Olise. He might have had damage issues previously, however he hasn’t had a single downside of that kind all through 2024/25 up to now and his progress, from a youthful inspiration of a mid-table staff within the Premier League, to a key participant for the Bundesliga leaders and Champions League contenders, is clear.
Not over but
Inter have clearly gained a small however vital benefit, attaining a one-goal victory within the first leg away from dwelling. The assist they’ll absolutely really feel surging from the stands of San Siro subsequent week will present them with further power, probably wanted very a lot to carry off Bayern once they come for what they really feel ought to be theirs – a spot within the semifinals.
