Inter Milan beat FC Porto in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 and put them in a good position for the second leg. Coach Simone Inzaghi’s team won the heated home game 1-0 (0-0).
Romelu Lukaku scored the winning goal for the Italians from close range in the 86th minute. The second leg will take place on March 14 at the Estádio do Dragão.
Both teams were in the game immediately after kick-off. Inter in particular initially created chances to score, but the hosts missed several opportunities. Marko Grujic missed a promising opportunity for FC Porto (37th), he couldn’t get past Inter goalkeeper André Onana.
After the break, the Portuguese failed again despite several additional shots by Onana, who saved twice against Mehdem Teremi (57th) after Zaidu Sanusi’s ball had been blocked. In the 78th minute, midfielder Otavio was sent off with a yellow card and will miss FC Porto in the second leg. Finally, Inter striker Lukaku scored the winning goal with a header that hit the post and followed up with a follow-up shot. (dpa)