Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan celebrates his goal during his team's Champions League clash with Benfica at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, April 19, 2023. /CFP
It increasingly seems that Inter Milan only bring out their finest performances during the biggest games. While the Italian powerhouse has been horribly ineffective in its domestic league, having lost four of their past five games in Serie A to drop out of the top four, their record in the Champions League is a different story.
Simone Inzaghi's side defied the odds to qualify from the Group of Death, that also included German champions Bayern Munich and Spanish giants Barcelona, and have now secured a historic semifinal date with arch-rivals AC Milan, who eliminated Napoli on Tuesday, after knocking out Portuguese juggernauts Porto and Benfica.
Leading 2-0 from the first leg last week, Inter drew 3-3 with Benfica on Wednesday to win their quarterfinal 5-3 on aggregate. It will be the team's first semifinal appearance since 2010, when they won the showpiece event under Jose Mourinho.
AC Milan players react after their Champions League draw with Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, April 18, 2023. /CFP
It is also the first time two Italian clubs have made it to the final four of Europe's elite football competition since 2003. Inter and Milan have met three times this season, with the former coming out on top in one Serie A game and the Italian Super Cup, while the latter emerged triumphant in the league.
"It will be a special derby," said Argentina World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez, who netted Inter's second goal against Benfica. "We all know what this game means, to play a Milan derby in the Champions League semis... Happiness is the word, I'm so proud to represent this crest and this great club which is back to where it belongs."
The Milan derby will take place at the San Siro in the first leg on May 10 and on May 16 in the second leg. The winners will take on title holders Real Madrid or English champions Manchester City, who clash in the semifinals for the second season in a row.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates his record during the Champions League clash with Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany, April 19, 2023. /CFP
Pep Guardiola's star-studded side secured their well-deserved semifinal spot thanks to a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich on Wednesday that was enough to see them march through 4-1 on aggregate.
Erling Haaland missed a penalty, but he still made Bayern pay as he put the tie beyond doubt in the second half with a smart finish into the top corner. That was the Norwegian's 48th goal for City this season, and at the age of 22 years and 272 days, he breaks Kylian Mbappe's record as the youngest player to score 35 career Champions League goals.
"All the clubs in the world have the feeling that if you want to win this competition you have to beat Real Madrid, it used to be Barcelona but now it's Madrid," said City manager Pep Guardiola, who becomes the first manager to reach double digits in Champions League semifinal appearances.
Bayern Munich players after their Champions League clash with Manchester City at Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany, April 19, 2023. /CFP
"We were fortunate before the penalty miss, they had one or two chances and anything could happen but we defended really well... He [Haaland] will learn how to do it. He's 22 years old and he's an incredible machine, he wanted to take it but he'll learn in the future."
Next up for City is a FA Cup semifinal against Sheffield United. "We are exhausted. I don't know how we will recover," observed Guardiola. "Now is a tough moment for the game on Saturday, but we have to play then as [Manchester] United play in the Europa League [so play Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup on Sunday]."