Inter Milan stunned Bayern Munich with a 2-1 victory in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, thanks to a dramatic late winner from Davide Frattesi at the Allianz Arena.
Despite Bayern dominating the early exchanges, it was Inter who struck first. Marcus Thuram’s audacious back-heel on 38 minutes set up Lautaro Martinez, who lashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The goal was a reward for Inter’s growing composure as the game progressed, especially after weathering a relentless Bayern onslaught in the opening 30 minutes.
Michael Olise, who was a constant menace on the right, and Harry Kane came close to giving Bayern the lead early on. Olise fizzed one just wide and later picked out Kane with a brilliant run and cross, only for the England captain to strike the post.
Inter’s defensive discipline kept the hosts at bay after the goal, with goalkeeper Yann Sommer making a key save to deny Martinez early in the second half. But Bayern, who had gone unbeaten in their previous 22 home Champions League games, weren’t done yet.
With five minutes to go, Thomas Mueller—fresh off announcing his departure after 25 seasons with the club—popped up with a poacher’s goal at the far post to level the tie and send the home crowd into raptures.
However, just as Bayern looked to have snatched momentum, Inter silenced the stadium with a devastating counter-attack. Carlos Augusto surged forward on the left and cut back for Frattesi, whose clinical finish in the 88th minute handed Inter a vital away win.
What They Said
🗣️ Lautaro Martinez (Inter goalscorer):
“We showed character and personality. This was a complete performance. We knew it would be tough but the boys showed what they’re made of.”
🗣️ Thomas Mueller (Bayern):
“It was a stupid goal to concede at the end. We’ll look at the footage and see what went wrong. This isn’t over. We know what we can do in Milan.”
🗣️ Davide Frattesi (Match-winner):
“When Carlos gave me the ball, I knew I had to stay calm. It felt amazing to score at such a big moment. We’ll enjoy it for now, but the job’s not done.”
Key Stats
- 🔵 Inter handed Bayern their first home Champions League defeat since 2021, ending a 22-match unbeaten streak.
- ⚽ Inter have conceded just 3 goals in 11 UCL matches this season.
- 🧤 Jonas Urbig, Bayern’s stand-in goalkeeper, made a crucial save to deny a second for Martinez but couldn’t keep out Frattesi’s winner.
- 🏥 Bayern were missing several key players, especially in defence, with just two senior centre-backs fit: Eric Dier and Kim Min-jae.
What’s Next?
- Second Leg: The return fixture at the San Siro promises fireworks. Inter take a slim but vital lead home, while Bayern will need to regroup and go all-in to overturn the deficit.
- Can Bayern bounce back? With key injuries and defensive vulnerabilities exposed, Vincent Kompany has a huge task ahead in Italy.
