Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu were both on target as Inter beat Feyenoord 4-1 on aggregate to reach the Champions League last eight.
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Inter had little trouble against Feyenoord on the nightThuram & Calhanoglu made the difference for the NerazzurriWill face Harry Kane's Bayern Munich in the quarter-finalsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportTELL ME MORE
The Dutch side had a mountain to climb at San Siro on Tuesday evening after succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at home last week. Manager Robin van Persie wanted his troops to make a strong start but just eight minutes into the match, the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker had his head in his hands when Marcus Thuram opened the scoring with a curling drive.
After getting their noses in front, Inter continued to dominate proceedings and forced their opponents to chase the game. Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were pulling the strings from midfield with Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Augusto providing the width. Feyenoord sprung to life in the final five minutes of the opening half and a foul inside the box by Calhanoglu on Jakub Moder earned them a penalty. Moder stepped up to take the responsibility from 12 yards and successfully put the ball behind Yan Sommer between the sticks.
Within six minutes of resumption after the break, Inter restored their lead after Thomas Beelen fouled Mohamed Taremi inside the box. Calhanoglu kept his cool and rolled the ball into the net with precision to establish a three-goal aggregate lead. Simone Inzaghi's men came close to increasing their lead on a couple of occasions but Feyenoord's defence held firm to escape an embarrassment in Italy.
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Thuram was one of the best players on the pitch as he was a constant threat to Feyenoord's defenders with his pace and guile. His first goal was a sensational strike from the edge of the box and with a bit of luck he could have had a brace, but for the woodwork.
THE BIG LOSER
Beelen had a tough time at San Siro as the Dutch centre-back was overwhelmed with the dual threat of Thuram and Taremi. He lost his composure and fouled the Iranian inside the box in the second half, which virtually sealed Feyenoord's fate in the round of 16 tie.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Inter will now face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after Harry Kane & Co. brushed aside Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 over two legs in the round of 16.