Milan, April 17 (HS): Inter Milan has confirmed its spot in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 by defeating Bayern Munich with an aggregate score of 4-3 in a thrilling quarterfinal match.

The second leg, held late Wednesday night at the San Siro Stadium, ended in a 2-2 draw; however, thanks to their 2-1 victory in the first leg, the Italian champions have progressed to the final four. Now, Inter will face Barcelona in the semifinals.

In a match played amid rain and strong winds, there were no goals scored by either team in the first half. However, the second half brought excitement as Bayern's star striker Harry Kane equalized in the 52nd minute, rejuvenating the contest.

Just six minutes later, Inter’s captain Lautaro Martinez scored in the 58th minute, putting Inter back in the lead. A mere three minutes after that, Benjamin Pavard scored a fantastic header, giving Inter a decisive lead.

In the 75th minute, Eric Dier scored for Bayern with a header, making the match exciting once again. Following that, Bayern applied constant pressure for an equalizer. In stoppage time, Harry Kane's header was brilliantly saved by Inter's goalkeeper Yann Sommer, ensuring Inter's victory.

Inter Milan's fans maintained silence for the first 20 minutes of the match in protest against the increased ticket prices. After that, the fans cheered loudly and sang to boost their team's morale.

Inter is now on the verge of winning the Serie A, Champions League, and Italian Cup treble once again, like during the era of José Mourinho in 2010. The team currently has a three-point lead over Napoli in the Italian league table and is set to face AC Milan in the domestic cup semifinals.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar