LISBON (Reuters) - Inter Milan struck in the second half through Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku for a 2-0 win at Benfica in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg on Tuesday which put them on course for a first last-four appearance since they won the trophy in 2010.
Barella headed home firmly at the back post in the 51st minute, rising unchallenged to get on the end of a superb cross from centre back Alessandro Bastoni, who was storming up the left side and delivered a pin-point ball.
The two goals hand Inter a major advantage for the return leg at San Siro next Wednesday, where they will be heavily fancied to progress to an all-Italian semi-final against either neighbours AC Milan or Napoli. But Inter deserved their victory, conjuring up the better chances with Benfica’s Odysseas Vlachodimos making important second-half saves to deny Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Dumfries and avert an even heavier defeat.
But it was Benfica’s dangerous playmaker Rafa Silva who conjured up the first effort on target, firing straight at Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana after picking up a botched clearance by Federico Dimarco in the 16th minute.
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