Alexis Sanchez feels that Inter Milan showed their spirit and grit to come back from 3-0 down and snatch a draw away at Benfica.
The Chilean spoke to InterTV after the 3-3 Champions League draw, via FCInterNews. He also praised his strike partner on the night, Marko Arnautovic.
Inter looked like a shellshocked team for large parts of the first half against Benfica this evening.
Particularly after Joao Mario had completed his hattrick, it would have been easy for the Nerazzurri to start thinking that it simply wasn’t their night.
Not least given the fact that a result was not necessarily to reach the knockout rounds.
Inter had already qualified for the round of sixteen with their win away to Red Bull Salzburg.
But all the same, the Nerazzurri came out with a fresh outlook in the second half.
Inter responded to the first half with three goals of their own. And late on, Nicolo Barella hit the crossbar with a shot that could have won the Nerazzurri the match.
It was a result that looked entirely improbable at halftime. And a testament to the fact that the team wanted to keep fighting and push for a result.
Alexis Sanchez: Inter Showed Grit To Snatch A Draw Vs Benfica
Sanchez noted that “We went down 3-0 in the first half.”
“But then we showed great grit, like a team of top players who are always thinking about winning.”
As far as his pairing with former West Ham United and Bologna striker Arnautovic, the Chilean said that “We get along well.”
“That was our first time playing together from the start,” he noted.
“But I’ve always said that he’s a great player.”
As far as what went wrong in the first half, Sanchez admitted that “We just lacked personality.”
“There were some errors. I think we were lacking some concentration.”