By Admin 
Inter Milan scored an 88th minute winner through Davide Frattesi to snatch a 2-1 victory over stunned hosts Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday (April 8, 2025).
Frattesi tapped in from close range to stun the Bavarians, who levelled three minutes earlier through substitute Thomas Mueller, a player leaving the club at the end of the season after 25 years as Bayern did not offer him a new contract.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez had put the visitors in the driving seat after 38 minutes, drilling the ball into the net from a superb Marcus Thuram backheel after Bayern had earlier hit the post through Harry Kane.
The treble-chasing Italians, who have conceded three goals in their 11 Champions League matches so far this season, host Bayern in the return leg on April 16.
“Tonight wasn’t a walk in the park and we were not expecting one,” said Mueller. “The chances converted were the key.
“We had a fair few chances but unfortunately the last counter makes it 2-1. Otherwise it would be 1-1, a good fightback and the Mueller story would have played out,” he said.
The Germans, who were missing several key players to injury including goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala along with a trio of defenders, had two chances through Michael Olise and Kane in the opening 15 minutes.
They came even closer in the 26th after Olise outplayed almost the entire Inter defence to lay the ball off for Kane whose curled shot hit the post.
The Italians gradually grew bolder with Carlos Augusto firing into the side netting and Martinez charging into the box but slipping just before shooting.
The Inter captain, however, made no mistake when Thuram found him with a backheel flick from a Carlos Augusto cut-back and the Argentine completed the swift move with a deft finish.
He came close to adding another in 55th but Bayern keeper Jonas Urbig stopped his powerful drive from a tight angle.
Bayern then pinned Inter in their own half but neither Konrad Laimer, Raphael Guerreiro nor Kane with his low drive in the 80th could find an equaliser until crowd favourite Mueller was in the right place to score with five minutes left.
Their joy, however, only lasted three minutes with Frattesi tapping in the winner in a heartbreaking finale for the Bayern fans in the Allianz Arena, site of this year’s final.
The winners of the quarter-final will face either Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona, who play their first leg on Wednesday.
Published – April 09, 2025 03:06 am IST