Portugal Inter Milan came back from three goals down at half-time to draw 3-3 at Benfica in Group D of the Champions League.
The group stage was decided early when Inter and Real Sociedad both secured two early tickets, meaning that the home team Benfica no longer had a chance to advance to the round of 16. However, this match still had significance for the away team, because if they won, they would have an advantage in the race to top the group.
Alexis Sanchez equalized 3-3 for Inter from the penalty spot. Photo: Reuters
However, things were not easy for Simone Inzaghi's team. They conceded a goal in the fifth minute, when Casper Tengstedt broke the offside trap before creating a wall for Joao Mario to shoot into the left corner of the goal, leaving Emil Audero unable to reach the ball.
Mario, who plays on the left wing for Benfica, was the man of the match in the first half. He had three shots, all of which were on target. The second came after Kristjan Asllani lost possession in the box, and Tengstedt seized the opportunity again, crossing for Mario to score.
Inter's defence continued to play like they were sleepwalking, allowing Benfica to freely combine in the box. From Rafa Silva's through ball, Tengstedt completed his hat-trick of assists with the outside of his foot for Mario to finish at the far post. The home side were somewhat lucky in this phase when the pass hit Carlos Augusto and changed direction. But Inter paid the price for forgetting Mario's movements in the box.
However, the visitors were transformed in the second half. They poured forward and put a lot of pressure on Anatolii Trubin's goal. From a corner kick, defender Yann Bisseck headed the ball into the net from close range for Marko Arnautovic to tap into the net. Initially, the referee ruled out the goal for offside. But the semi-automatic offside technology quickly proved that the Austrian striker was in a legal position.
Joao Mario's first-half hat-trick was not enough to help Benfica claim all three points. Photo: AFP
Just as Benfica scored quickly in the first half, Inter did the same in the second. From Francesco Acerbi's cross, Davide Frattesi volleyed left-footed into the left corner, leaving Trubin no time to dive. Benfica could have restored their two-goal lead had Rafa Silva and Tengstedt made better use of a counter-attack in the 64th minute.
Shortly after this incident, the referee awarded Inter a penalty when he judged that Nicolas Otamendi had fouled Marcus Thuram. From the spot, Alexis Sanchez fired into the left corner, fooling Trubin. The Chilean striker then ran to the corner post and celebrated enthusiastically with the Inter substitutes and coaching staff.
The visitors' comeback could have been even more remarkable if they had capitalised on their late chances to take the lead. The advantage swung heavily in Inter's favour after home centre-back Antonio Silva was sent off in the 84th minute. However, the visitors were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage for more than 15 minutes, including 10 minutes of stoppage time, to claim all three points.
Winning a point won't help Inter top the table, as in the remaining match of Group D, Sociedad drew RB Salzburg 0-0. However, Inzaghi's team will have the advantage in the final round when they host Sociedad on November 29.
Quang Huy
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