Inter reaches Champions League QF after 0-0 draw at Porto

By The Associated Press on March 14, 2023.

PORTO, Portugal (AP) – Heroic defending and the woodwork helped Inter Milan reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in more than a decade.

Inter managed a 0-0 draw at Porto on Tuesday to progress 1-0 on aggregate and join city rival AC Milan in the final eight. Napoli could become the third Italian team in the quarterfinals when it plays Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Canadian international Stephen Eustaquio started for Porto and played 70 minutes before being substituted.

All the drama was saved for the fifth minute of stoppage time as a goalline clearance, the post and the crossbar prevented Porto from snatching the goal that would have taken the match to extra time.

There were few other concrete chances at the Estádio Do Dragão as Inter did enough to ensure it advanced to the final eight for the first time since going out at that stage as the defending champion in 2011.

There are no further restrictions on teams from the same country facing each other so the two Milan sides could be pitted against each other when the draw is made on Friday – just like they were in the semifinals in 2003, when eventual champion Milan emerged victorious.

Romelu Lukaku had scored the all-important goal at San Siro but he started on the bench Tuesday as Inter coach Simone Inzaghi opted for Edin Džeko alongside Lautaro Martínez up front.

And Džeko had the best of the few Inter chances in the 22nd minute but his effort was saved by Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Porto could have already been in front by then as Inter goalkeeper André Onana got the slightest of touches to push Mateus Uribe’s swerving shot round the post in the third minute and also reacted well to smother a scuffed Eustaquio effort.

The Inter defense dealt well with the Porto pressure but almost got caught out on the counter midway through the second half but Matteo Darmian – who was suffering from a cramp and on a yellow card – rushed back to make a perfectly timed, last-ditch tackle.

Porto poured forward in the seven minutes of stoppage time and had three incredible chances in the space of a minute. Iván Marcano’s shot was cleared off the line by Inter defender Denzel Dumfries, before Onana pushed Mehdi Taremi’s header onto his post and, moments later, a Marko Grujić header came off the crossbar.

Porto defender Pepe was sent off two minutes later following a second yellow card.

Manchester City also advanced to the quarterfinals as it routed Leipzig 7-0 in the night’s other match, with Erling Haaland scoring a record-equaling five goals in a Champions League match.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

16
-15