Late Frattesi strike gives Inter edge over Bayern in Champions League

MUNICH: An 88th-minute Davide Frattesi goal took Inter Milan to a 2-1 win at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, giving the Italians the edge after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Undermanned Bayern, nursing a bulging casualty ward, set the tone in the first half-hour, with Michael Olise and Harry Kane narrowly failing to break through.

Inter opened the scoring on the 38-minute mark when Marcus Thuram’s clever back-heel found Lautaro Martinez who blasted home.

The Italians maintained control until Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, days after announcing a summer departure after 25 years at the club, scored the equaliser with a typical poacher’s finish with five minutes remaining.

Not content to be spectators to a Bayern fairytale ending, Inter broke on the counter just three minutes later, with Carlos Augusto finding Frattesi, who scored Inter’s second. Inter, defeated in the final by Manchester City two seasons ago, have their noses in front in their bid to make the last four of the competition.

Inter goalscorer Martinez toasted the “complete performance”, telling Amazon Prime his side showed “character, personality”, adding “the boys showed what they were made of.” The late goal consigned Bayern to their first home defeat in the Champions League since 2021, a run of 22 matches.

Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said his side had “very many good moments which give us trust and confidence. Next week it’s about winning and our feeling is that we can win in Milan.”

Two-time Champions League winner Mueller lamented Inter’s “stupid” late goal, saying “when we watch the footage, when we analyse it, we’ll know we could have done better.

“It wasn’t a brutal defeat. We’ve played the first half, the first leg - we imagined a different result but we know there’s still something in it for us.” - Injury-hit Bayern, Bastoni fit -

Semi-finalists last season, Bayern’s preparation for the game was hampered by an injury crisis. The German giants were particularly hard hit in defence, with England veteran Eric Dier and Kim Min-jae the only two fit centre-backs.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany replaced the injured Jamal Musiala by moving left-back Raphael Guerreiro to the number 10 position behind Kane, leaving veteran Mueller on the bench.

The hosts dominated the opening half hour, with Olise carving up the Inter defence at pace, but without finding the breakthrough. Olise flashed just wide with seven minutes gone, hit a shot straight at Yann Sommer on the quarter-hour mark and found Kane to head at the ‘keeper shortly after.

The English-born France international dribbled through Inter’s defence to create Bayern’s best chance of the opening half, finding an unmarked Kane but the England captain hit his effort against the far post. Inter’s forays into Bayern territory were brief but their confidence grew.