Mission impossible has been successfully completed for Inzaghi’s side as Inter secured a 4-0 victory over Czech outfits Viktoria Plzen in order to survive the group of death and progress within the knockout phase of the Champions League.
Within the opening minutes of the fixture, Inter established their dominance within their home-soil as they completely dictated the game through their swift passing combinations and interchangeable movements.Â
Although they found success in exploiting Viktoria Plzen by breaking their lines out-wide and through the middle, the Nerazzurri struggled to seal the opener as they lacked the finishing touch and the Czech club were kept alive following several acrobatic saves from Jindrich Stanek.
After knocking on their door for over half an hour, Inter broke the deadlock as Italian defender delivered a brilliant cross along the flanks to find Henrikh Mkhitaryan within the box. The Armenian cushioned the ball into the back of the net with a precise header to gain the lead within the 34th minute.
In the 42nd minute, central midfielder Nicolo Barella distributed a mesmerizing over-the-top ball in order to switch the play and find Federico Dimarco out-wide. The wing-back dispatched a low-driven cross for Edin Dzeko to score from point-blank range in order to double the Benemata’s advantage before the whistle blew for the break.
Throughout the second half, Inzaghi’s side maintained the same level of urgency within the attacking phase, as they attempted to find the third goal that would slice the dagger through the heart of the Czech side.
In the 66th minute, Lautaro Martinez brought the ball down brilliantly in the box and found Edin Dzeko, allowing the veteran striker to tally a brace and make it 3-0 under the lights of the San Siro.
Within the 83rd minute, Romelu Lukaku has brought onto the pitch in exchange for Lautaro Martinez for his grand return after missing a month of first-team action. Despite being absent for so long, the Belgian striker showed no signs of rust and made an intimidate mark on the fixture.
Three minutes after entering the front-line, the 29 year-old combined with Joaquin Correa to break the lines and buried the ball into the back of the to make it four for Inter.
In the end, Inter sealed all three points as they cruised past Viktoria Plzen to secure their spot within the Round of 16, sending Barcelona crashing downwards within the Europa League.
