From Lukaku Improving To An Imperious Defense – Four Reasons Why Inter Milan Could Reach Champions League Final

Inter can really dream of an appearance in the biggest match in European club competition at the end of this season.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who give four reasons in particular that the Nerazzurri can really book their place in the final of this season’s Champions League in Istanbul.

Inter have already enjoyed several memorable European nights this season, and the big question has become whether or not they can repeat them on a couple more occasions in order to get as far as the final.

For the Gazzetta, there is reason to think that the attributes that have already defined the Nerazzurri’s performances in the competition can really be a recipe and a blueprint to make it to the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

The first of these has been a genuinely imperious defense in Europe.

Whilst the Nerazzurri have had more than a few defensive hiccups in Serie A, particularly away from home, in Europe they have only let in six goals so far in nine matches.

These came in the form of three goals in two matches against Bayern Munich, and three in a six-goal thriller at the Camp Nou.

Otherwise, clean sheets against all of Barcelona, Viktoria Plzen, Porto, and now Benfica have been a testament to the Nerazzurri’s extreme solidity.

All the way from the forwards to the midfielders to the wingbacks and midfielders to the defenders in the back three, Inter have defended almost faultlessly as a unit.

Behind them has been Andre Onana, who has been having an outstanding Champions League campaign to keep clean sheet after clean sheet.

The second reason that the Gazzetta gives has that Romelu Lukaku has been starting to get his cutting edge back, particularly in Europe.

The Belgian’s goal was decisive against Porto in the round of sixteen, whilst his cold-blooded strike from the penalty spot against Benfica could prove just as important.

If Lukaku can be decisive in front of goal on the biggest stage, Inter have yet another dimension in the biggest matches.

Speaking of the biggest matches, the third reason to dream given by the Gazzetta has been the manner in which Inter have risen to the occasion in some of Europe’s biggest stadiums.

At all of the Camp Nou, the Estadio do Dragao, and the Estadio da Luz, the Nerazzurri have put in some of their best performances of the season, the newspaper argues.

This lends further momentum to the team, and hope that whether they are to face an “away” San Siro or a sold-out and raucous Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the semifinals should they make it that far, Inter will hardly wilt under the pressure.

The fourth reason that Inter could reach the Champions League final, the Gazzetta argues, is simply that this team looks more “together” in Europe than it has anywhere else.

In the group stage and through the knockouts so far, staying united and compact from the first whistle until last has been a real feature of the Nerazzurri’s matches in Europe, and this could be just the thing that they need to see out their tie against Benfica, and then go on.