Perhaps what Inter did to Porto at the start of the knockout phase should have served Benfica as a lesson, as a guide on how not to get burned on the way to the Champions League final. But the Eagles seemed to run onto the field in the first match of the quarter-finals believing that their previous convincing performances in the elite competition and the fact that Inter Milan were in disastrous form until tonight, will be enough to topple the Italian giants at Estadio Da Luz. It’s as if they overlooked that victory will not be delivered on a plate by itself, that is, it must be earned on the field. It’s as if the players of the Portuguese team took the Nerazzurri’s arrival in Lisbon lightly, and that cost them their first defeat in the Champions League this season, and as things currently stand, probably a place in the semi-finals – 0-2.Before the match, it was not Roger Schmidt who warned against Inter for no reason, saying that the Italian teams are technically very strong, they manage to change their tactics depending on the game. And once again, the famous tactical adaptability of Serie A representatives and the skill of playing for the result came to the fore. Inter did not threaten too much, but used their chances and scored when they needed to, and Nicolò Barella and substitute Romelu Lukaku became heroes.In the opening minutes of the second half, the Italian midfielder put the ball into the goal of Odysseas Vlachodimos with the ease of a proper striker after Alessandro Bastoni’s beautiful cross, and the Belgian took advantage of Simone Inzaghi sending him into play for the final half hour of the game. Lukaku took responsibility and in the 82nd minute, exactly half an hour after Barella, outsmarted Vlahodimos from the penalty spot. The penalty for Inter was preceded by Joao Mario’s handball on the edge of the penalty area, the footage helped referee Michael Oliver award it. However, they could be seething with anger in the camp of the defeated team, both because Joao Mario hit the ball with his head right before the handball, and because of the fact that no foul was called on Goncalo Ramos in the Inter penalty area at the beginning of the second half. Bastoni caught him on the leg, and to make matters worse, VAR did not even call Oliver to check it for himself.UCL: Haaland’s sweet revenge, Tuchel and Bayern on the ropesIt cannot be said that all is lost for Benfica, for a team that, until tonight’s crash, gave the impression of favorites in the Champions League. Europe’s elite stage also witnessed much bigger upsets than making up for a two-goal deficit. But the fact that the Italians, including Inter itself, know how to close a double-header after celebrating in the first game has been proven countless times. The most recent example is precisely this Inter Milan squad, which recently beat Porto in Milan (1-0), then kept a clean sheet at Dragao.So, Benfica still have a theoretical chance, but only if they perform as they did in the group stage. Tonight, this was not the team that ended the first part of the competition as the first in the group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. Last weekend, with the defeat in the derby with Porto (admittedly insignificant in terms of results in the fight for the domestic title), it could be seen as a chance for Inter. Schmidt played an identical line-up with the exception of the suspended Nicolas Otamendi, and perhaps the Argentinian’s absence in the Eagles’ defense tonight had an impact on the negative result. Admittedly, Benfica’s defense seemed very stable and steadfast until Barella’s goal, not allowing the rival to send a shot on goal.Benfica were a bit more dangerous during the first 45 minutes, Rafa Silva shot straight at the well-positioned Onana in the 16th minute and that was the moment when the host was closest to the goal, until the second-half stoppage time. Then, out of nowhere, Goncalo Ramos got a chance to soften the blow and make the rematch against Giuseppe Meazza significantly more exciting. And instead of scoring from a position from which he would probably have scored eight goals in ten attempts, he sent the ball straight to Andre Onana.The Eagles did not take advantage of the crowded Da Luz, and in eight days they will face the hell of the biggest Italian stadium and the ultimate test of what they are made of. Tonight they were not worse than Inter as much as the result shows, and in the second leg they will have to be at least twice as good from the start. Because even tonight they were hit by the harsh reality – Inter are not Club Brugge, nor is a knockout the same as the group stage of the Champions League.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUEQuarter-final, first legTuesdayMan.City – Bayern 3-0 (1-0)/Rodri 27, Silva 70, Haaland 76/Benfica – Inter 0-2 (0-0)/Barella 51, Lukaku 82 pen/Wednesday22:00: (1.80) Real Madrid (3.60) Chelsea (5.10)22:00: (2.90) Milan (3.10) Napoli (2.80)***odds are subject to change***
