The Milan clubs are set to meet again in another Champions League semifinal a decade after their last encounter in the final four of Europe’s elite club competition.
Inter Milan drew 3-3 against Benfica on Wednesday to complete a 5-3 aggregate victory over the Portuguese team. That came a day after AC Milan prevailed against Napoli in their quarterfinal.
After Nicolò Barella’s opener for Inter, Fredrik Aursnes restored some hope for Benfica shortly before halftime. But Lautaro Martínez and substitute Joaquín Correa netted in the second half to help Inter reach its first semifinal since José Mourinho led it to the treble of the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup in 2010.
Inter nevertheless managed to relinquish a two-goal lead as António Silva and Petar Musa netted late on for Benfica.
“Obviously I am happy, and I am happy for the boys because it is an important and historic achievement,” Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said. “We’ve come a long way, from a very, very difficult group.
“With regards to the goals, their forward did well on the second goal and on the third goal we heard a whistle and so several players stopped. Of course I would have wanted to have won 3-2 and I’m more disappointed for the boys but we were already through to the semifinal and there was that whistle that we heard on the bench too … we would have deserved the win.”