Inter double at Benfica puts them on course for Champions League semis
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Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku (third from right) celebrates scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot.
PHOTO: AFP
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LISBON – Inter Milan scorer Romelu Lukaku said he understood the reasons for being left out of the starting line-up for Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League away win over Benfica but was delighted to contribute off the bench.
The Belgium striker has struggled with injury and form this season and saw the 37-year-old Edin Dzeko preferred to him to lead Inter’s attack for the first leg of the quarter-final tie at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz.
But he came off the bench to tuck away an 82nd-minute penalty that ensured Inter’s victory, after Nicolo Barella had headed home in the 51st, and a potentially decisive advantage for next week’s return leg at the San Siro.
“Yes, yes, I understand the reasons (for being on the bench) because of my previous performances but I just have to look ahead and try to help the team as much as possible,” said Lukaku, who has just seven goals in 23 matches in all competitions this season.
“I’m getting back in shape, I’m giving a lot to the team, but everyone else is doing it too.
“We have a responsibility to do well for the club, now we need to do well in the league at the weekend to have the right confidence for the second leg.”
The 29-year-old also said he had focused hard on picking his spot for the penalty kick, cutting out the noise in the cavernous stadium with more than 60,000 fans.
“You need not listen to other players. I don’t listen to anyone, not even my teammates, I’m just focused on the ball and where I want to put it in,” he explained.
“We played an intelligent game. We also had other opportunities to score three or four goals but, against a team like this, a 2-0 win is a good result. Now we have to try to do well in the league too, which is important.”
Inter, who had not won in six matches coming into Tuesday’s tie, next face Monza at home in the Serie A on Saturday before the second leg next Wednesday.
They sit fifth in the standings, one point behind AC Milan in the race for Champions league spots.
Benfica coach Roger Schmidt, meanwhile, insisted all was not lost even with his side in perilous danger of Champions League elimination.
“Being 2-0 down at home is not good, but we are at half-time in the tie. Of course we can go to Milan to win,” he said.
“We had good moments but we also had bad luck with the penalty and we could have had a penalty or two ourselves.
“It was a tough game. I think both teams had their chances. We didn’t take advantage of ours, unfortunately.” REUTERS
