Inter Milan went into the Allianz Arena and defeated Bayern Munich 2–1 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
The hosts looked dangerous in the opening half-an-hour, but were unable to finish off their chances, especially Harry Kane, who hit the post in a 1-v-1 after a stellar play from Michael Olise. Like it happens often in soccer, the chances you miss often come back to bite you on your own end and that's exactly what happened.
In the 38th minute, Inter Milan crafted a great play, crowned by a delicious first-touch, back-heel assist from Marcus Thuram to set-up Lautaro Martínez, who fired a beautiful trivela shot into the roof of the net to give the visitors the lead.
Bayern tilted the field in their favor during the final 45 minutes, but struggled to break down Inter's stout defensive block. Vincent Kompany brought on Thomas Müller and finally, the club legend, in what could be his final home Champions League match wearing Bayern's shirt, leveled the scoring in the 85th minute.
When the draw seemed the most likely result, the visitors responded with a deadly counter-attack. Martínez freed Carlos Augusto down the wing and the Brazilian fired a violent cross that Davide Frattesi tapped-in to score the winner in the 88th minute.
The hosts tried to answer but time ran out. Now, Inter Milan are perfectly positioned to defend their advantage in the return leg at San Siro to punch their tickets to the semifinals.
Player ratings from the game below.
Bayern Munich Player Ratings vs. Inter Milan (4-2-3-1)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich Player Ratings (3-5-2)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Player of the Match: Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bayern Munich 1-2 Inter Milan: Player Ratings as Lautaro Martinez Steals the Show.
