Inter Milan won a cracking game 3-2 to oust Bayern Munich from the Champions League and reach the competition’s quarter-finals.
After losing 1-0 at home three weeks ago, the result at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday sees the holders go through on the away goals rule after a 3-3 aggregate outcome. Goran Pandev hit the winner after Wesley Sneijder had given Leonardo’s side hope earlier in the second half.
It had looked like Bayern would complete their revenge for last year’s final defeat as, after Samuel Eto’o’s opener, goals from Mario Gomez and Thomas Muller had them 2-1 ahead at half-time and 3-1 clear on aggregate. Yet, in the end, they fell to the Nerazzurri once again.
The 2010 winners took a very early lead. They were without the injured Diego Milito, whose brace won last year’s final in Madrid, but in Eto’o they have an attacker of an even higher quality and he levelled the tie on aggregate after just three minutes.
Pandev was the architect as he played Eto’o in and, as Bayern’s defence waited in vain for an offside flag, the Cameroon front man poked the ball through Thomas Kraft’s legs.
A gift of a goal let Bayern back in though as Arjen Robben’s shot was spilled by goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Gomez bore down and took the ball over his own head as he directed it into an empty net.
Inter’s defence, so important in their run to glory last year, was found wanting again just after the half hour mark as Muller put the hosts ahead. Lucio tried to cut out Robben’s cross, but touched the ball into Muller’s path and the Germany star dinked the ball past Julio Cesar.
The Brazil goalkeeper kept out Franck Ribery and Andrea Ranocchia’s clearance bounced off of Muller and against the post as Bayern tried to finish it off before the break. Robben also found the side-netting, though they still will have felt they were on course for progression when half-time came.
However, Sneijder – another of last season’s Inter heroes – brought the Italian side back into it in the 63rd minute, not long aftr Julio Cesar’s flying save from Gomez’s thunderous volley. Eto’o laid the ball off to the Dutch ace and he side-footed home from range to set up a grandstand finish.
Pandev volleyed over and Sneijder shot wide as the away goal that would put Inter though got closer and closer. And with two minutes to go it arrived!
Eto'o beat defender Breno to the ball on the left side and crossed for Pandev. The Macedonian forward was perfectly positioned to fire in an emphatic finish as his side gave Bayern the blues once again and heaped more pressure on under-fire coach Louis Van Gaal.