Inter Overcome Feyenoord to Secure Quarter-Final Clash with Bayern Munich

Inter Milan secured their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) after defeating Feyenoord 2-1 on the night, clinching a 4-1 aggregate victory and extending their unbeaten UCL streak at San Siro to 15 matches.

With a 2-0 loss from the first leg last week, Feyenoord faced an uphill battle this evening, and their slow start proved unhelpful. An early warning came when Timon Wellenreuther had to dive to his left to save a long-range shot from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but the visitors did not heed the call.

Just five minutes in, they found themselves behind when Marcus Thuram embarked on a stunning solo run, finishing it off with a powerful strike into the top corner for the opening goal.

Although Feyenoord desperately sought goals to turn the tie around, it was Inter who dominated the attacking play. Another energetic run from Thuram nearly resulted in a second goal, but he opted to pass to Mehdi Taremi on the edge of the box, whose powerful strike was again thwarted by Wellenreuther.

The Dutch side had been largely ineffective in the first half but received a golden opportunity five minutes before half-time when Hakan Calhanoglu fouled Jakub Moder in the penalty area. Moder picked himself up and coolly slotted the penalty home, reducing the aggregate deficit for Feyenoord. He became only the second player to score against Inter’s disciplined defence in European competitions this season, joining Bayer Leverkusen’s Nordi Mukiele.

It may have been harsh to say Ivan Kruzliak ‘equalised’ the game after the break, but he awarded Inter a penalty within five minutes when Thomas Beelen brought down Taremi in the area. Calhanoglu converted the penalty low to Wellenreuther’s left, redeeming himself from earlier. Moments later, Inter thought they had another penalty when Thuram was brought down by Beelen, and although Kruzliak initially awarded the spot-kick, he reversed his decision after checking the pitchside monitor, issuing a yellow card to Thuram for diving.

Thuram almost made amends shortly after when he navigated past three defenders and struck the crossbar, but the miss did not affect the overall outcome of the tie. Inter comfortably advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since their run to the final in the 2022/23 season. Meanwhile, Feyenoord’s disappointing run continues, as they are now without a win in their last nine away matches against Italian teams in European competitions.