Inter reach quarters with draw at Porto

Agency :
Inter Milan reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in more than a decade after surviving a late barrage of pressure at Porto to escape with a 0-0 draw which took them through 1-0 on aggregate on Tuesday.
It was a disappointing night for the home fans at a sold-out Dragao stadium as the Portuguese champions tried in vain to wipe out the narrow deficit from the first leg in Italy.
A disciplined Inter side seemed content to hold onto their lead and did not face a serious threat until added time.
Then Ivan Marcano’s effort was blocked on the goal-line by Denzel Dumfries and headers from Mehdi Taremi and Marko Grujic hit the post and bar respectively as Porto finally came alive.
Defender Pepe was then sent off for a second yellow card and Inter joined city rivals AC Milan in the quarter-final draw, the first time they have reached the last eight since 2006.
A disciplined Inter side seemed content to hold onto their lead and did not face a serious threat until added time.
Then Ivan Marcano’s effort was blocked on the goal-line by Denzel Dumfries and headers from Mehdi Taremi and Marko Grujic hit the post and bar respectively as Porto finally came alive.
Defender Pepe was then sent off for a second yellow card and Inter joined city rivals AC Milan in the quarter-final draw, the first time they have reached the last eight since 2006.
“In football, luck matters relatively. In the two-legged match we deserved to advance. Now we will play the quarter-finals with a lot of confidence.”
After earning a hard-fought win in the first leg against a Porto side who went to Italy with an ultra-defensive gameplan, Inzaghi’s side took a careful approach that paid off as his players preserved the lead with a steadfast display.