Benfica 0-2 Inter: summary, score, goals, highlights, Champions League 2022/23
Benfica - Inter: as it happened
A major uphill tass lies ahead for Roger Schmidt and his Benfica side as they lacked creativity at home tonight to break down an experienced and resilient Inter Milan side.
In a first half low on goal scoring chances, Rafa Silva came closest for the Lisbon outfit but saw his effort bound off Onana's chest.
Inter opened the scoring just after the 50th minute as a sublime pass from Bastoni was headed home by Barella and despite a brief flurry from Benfica, it was Inter who looked the more composed team and threatened on the break with Dumfries going close twice.
Inter's second goal came from the penalty spot after VAR adjudged that Joao Mario had handled and once again the current handball rule will come under the microscope as the decision was cruel on Benfica.
Lukaku slotted home calmly and a very discreet Gonçalo Ramos had a golden opportunity in the final minute of the contest to pull a consolation goal back for the home side but drove the ball straight at Onana.
Benfica will need to offer much, much more as this tie is now Inter's to lose.
Ramos through on goal and the striker fires straight at Onana.
The whistle sounds and Inter are in control of the tie with a 0-2 win.
De Vrij on for Bastoni (Inter)
Guedes and Musa set to come on for Benfica with
4 minutes to be added
Final minute of the contest and it looks like being another decent trip to Portugal for Inter after their 0-0 in Porto helped them prevail in the Round of 16.
Benfica need to offer a very different performance in Milan.
Benfica offering a late rally as fans start to make for the exit at the Estadio da Luz as they have seen enough tonight.
Dumfries swapped for D'Ambrosio (Inter change)
Can Benfica find that elusive goal that would keep the tie alive?
The Inter fans celebrate and are in cruise control in the tie now.
The penalty kick was cruel and harsh on Benfica it really has to be said.
The Belgian international steps forward and slots home to make it 0-2.
Inter spot kick and Lukaku is poised to take the penalty.
Not a great look as the VAR pitchside monitor isn't working.
A Joao Mario handball? That would be tough and the ref points to the spot.... a cruel and harsh decision !
The modern handball rule ..... discuss !!!!!!
Michael Oliver is set to look at the screen....
That generally means one thing.....
VAR being consulted for a possible handball....
Dumfries goes close twice but fine saves from the Benfica keeper as Inter are knocking on the door.
Silva injured and the English ref. holds the game up as the Benfica man gets looked at.
Final fifteen here in Lisbon. Can Benfica get the goal that would fire up the 65,000 crowd?
Grimaldo with a decent strike and the Benfica man sees his shot deflected for a corner.
A waste of a corner as Inter counter and Barella drives wide.
Less than 20 minutes left for Inter to hang on as Benfica still look for a way back into the contest.
Dumfries goes to ground and seems to be in some distress after Rafa Silva clips the Dutch international.
Inter are looking comfortable as Benfica really don't seem to have a Plan B after going behind and it's Inter on the beak more likely to add to the score.
The home fans now being outsung by 2,500 Interistas.
Benfica too poised to make a switch:
Neres on for Florentino
Inter changes:
On: Lukaku, Correa, Gosens
Off: Dzeko, Lautaro, Dimarco
Inter poised to make a triple change
An hour of the contest gone and it's advantage to Inter with the Barella goal the difference between the teams.
We've yet to see any magic from Gonçalo Ramos tonight with the top marksman offering little for his side.
Inter now being made to work hard as Benfica look to bounce back.
How did that not go in?
Silva and Joao Mario both going close as the ball bobbles around the Inter box as Dumfries blocks a goal bound effort.
Inter take the lead in Lisbon.
Barella puts the visitors ahead and silences Da Lux with a fine downward header.
Not sure what Roger Schmidt said at half time but Benfica have come out with a different attitude and seem well fired up.
Brozovic carded for Inter.
Good start from the home side as Rafa Silva and Joao Mario are at the heart of the positive play.
The home fans have rediscovered their voice too.
Inter to get the second half underway.
The teams are back on the pitch and as things stand, looks like the same 22 players from the first 45'.
What can Benfica do to try and grab control of this contest again? As the half evolved, Inter grew into the game and despite no clear cut chances, it's the Serie A side who will be the happier of the two sides.
Shots on target after 45'
Benfica 1-0 Inter
The whistle sounds and no goals so far in Lisbon with Inter shading the latter stages of the half.
Benfica just a little too predictable now with their build up play and the early domination the Lisbon showed has swung the way of the Serie A side.
The half time whistle will come at a bad time for Inter with the Italian side well on top now.
A series of corners for Inter as it's now their turn to dominate again.
Barella has looked dangerous for the visitors down the Inter right hand side.
Dzeko almost latches onto a sweet ball from Barella and gets a swift applause from manager Inzaghi.
Benfica win a dangerous free as Acerbi clips a man in a red shirt.
Poor ball in as Lautaro whacks the ball down field.
Grimaldo has a go from distance but drives the ball wide.
Inter almost breaking through in the previous passage of play with the game a bright open contest despite limited goal mouth action.
Just past the half hour mark and both sides enjoying solid passages of domination.
Benfica appeal for a handball but the ref waves play on.... Just getting more details from the VAR booth but no hands there...correct call.
Inter have manages to take some of the fizz out of the home fans who are a little more subdued now after creating big decibels in the opening phase of the contest.
Acerbi has a go from range and his left footed strike just drifts over the bar. A warning from the visitors who are clawing their way back into the contest.
Better from Inter now as they work the ball from side to side and make Benfica work with a great deal of patience.
First card of the night goes to Antonio Silva as he cuts through on Lautaro.
The ball sets up nicely for Joao Mario as he drills the ball across the face of the Inter goalmouth.
Benfica shading things too in terms of possession.
Rafa Silva strikes from close range and the ball bounces back into play from Onana.
Best chance of the contest and it goes the way of the home team.
Some calm goalkeeping from Onana as he does a back heel under pressure.... the home fans still doing their bit to inspire the home side.
With 12 minutes gone, we've yet to see World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez in action... the Argentine is going through something of a mini goal drought at present having not scored in six games.
One or two misplaced passes from the home side with the centre back pairing of Morato and Silva having youth on their side.
First corner for Inter as Dimarco does well... Brozovic fires the ball into the box but the strike is too strong and Benfica win a goal kick.
Inter's last visit to Porto was a positive one as a 0-0 draw in Porto saw Inzaghi's side advance by virtue of a 1-0 win from the first leg in San Siro.
The home side enjoying the best of the game so far as they pass the ball around and peg Inter back.
Plenty of noise being made by the home fans.
A cagey start in Lisbon as the players try and overcome early game nerves.
The Champions League anthem blares out from the stadium PA... nervous energy on the faces of the 22 players.
A wonderful atmosphere at the Da Luz stadium.... packed house with 65,000 fans in attendance as the teams emerge from the tunnel.
Inter in yellow tonight
The 'nerazzurri' will be sporting their change kit of yellow tonight ... not sure precisely why with little clash between the red of Benfica and the black and blue stripes of Inter...
All eyes on Ramos
The Benfica player is an old fashioned striker and has found the net over 25 times this season. The striker also hit the headlines at the recent World Cup as his hat-trick helped Portugal dump Switzerland out of the competition.
All set in the Benfica dressing room
The home side will wear their classic red shirts, white shorts and red socks tonight.
Inter's form of late has been erratic ... After beating FC Porto in the Round of 16, the Milanese giants have failed to win in their past six outings having drawn three and lost three. Inzaghi's men are now 5th in the Serie A table and were eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Juventus.
Benfica's only recent slip-up coming in last Friday's Portuguese 'Clasico' as they lost at home to FC Porto 1-2. The side from the capital still hold a seven point advantage but 'Eagles' fans hope that the pain of the defeat can be eradicated tonight with a solid win over the Italian side.
Referee Michael Oliver / KAI PFAFFENBACH / REUTERS
Benfica-Inter: match official
The English referee Michael Oliver has been selected by Uefa to oversee tonight's clash at the Estadio da Luz.
The 38-year-old has been on the Fifa list since 2012 and is a Uefa elite match official since 2018 and oversaw last August's Uefa Super Cup clash in Helsinki as Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0.
Just 2 of the 1/4 finalists yet to win UCL
Manchester City and Napoli share something else apart from a sky blue home shirt with both teams the only sides from the final eight in this year's competition to have never lifted the European Cup/Champions League.
Real Madrid lead the way with their Paris win making it an astonishing 14 triumphs in Europe.
Inter XI
and confirmation from the official Inter Twitter account too... Lukaku set to start on the bench with Dzeko and Lautaro preferred by Inzaghi as a striking duo.
Team news
Benfica: Vlachodimos; Gilberto, António Silva, Morato and Grimaldo; Florentino and Chiquinho; João Mário, Rafa and Aursnes; Gonçalo Ramos
Inter: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi and Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan and Dimarco; Dzeko and Luataro Martinez
The winners from this quarter-final will advance to play the victors from the AC Milan vs Napoli game with the first let of that all Italian affair set to be played tomorrow night.
A 'Derby della Madonnina' (Milan derby) potentially on the cards but Benfica and Napoli will be doing all in their powers to ensure that fails to happen.
Inter's Inzaghi pre-game:
"We know the importance of the match. We have had a great journey, which has been very difficult. We have to play a great match. Benfica have not lost in the Champions League, they scored lots of goals, they are a quality team. But we are Inter, we have prepared well. Benfica have lost two games all season but they will find an Inter who know what they want and know the match we have to play."
Benfica boss Schmidt pre-game:
"In the knockout stage you have to expect the opponent at their top level. For both teams it's very important, both expended a lot of energy to reach this round. We expect a top side, a very concentrated one, but this is also what we expect for ourselves. We have to be ready for a side with individual quality, and we need a top performance."
Inter absentees:
Inter too have injury concerns with Dalbert not ready after recent injury and Skriniar and Calhanoglu alos ruled out for the first leg in Portugal.
Benfica absentees:
Draxler, Guedes and Bah are all ruled out through injury with World Cup winner Otamendi suspended for the first leg of the UCL quarter-final clash.
SLB-Inter: only 3 previous meetings
The side from Lisbon have only faced Inter on three occasions in major European competitions with both sides playing out a 0-0 Europa League draw in 2004 with Inter winning the return leg 4-3.
The previous meeting was back in 1965 when a 1-0 win for the Italian side was enough to win the old European Cup final.
Inter... 37 days without a win
5 March was the last time the Serie A side recorded a win as they tasted victory for the last time with a win over Lecce.
Since then Inzaghi's side have played six games, losing three and drawing the rest so the Champions League offers something of a season 'life-line' for the Milanese giants who are out of the Italian Cup and lie in fifth place in Serie A.
Fortress Lisbon
The Estadio da Luz has been a stronghold for Benfica in this season's Champions League with the home side beating Juve (4-3) and holding PSG to a 1-1 draw in the group stage.
Benfica did slip-up at home last Friday though as they fell 1-2 to eternal rivals FC Porto in a Liga BWIN clash but the 'Eagles' still retain a seven point lead over 'Os Dragoes' in the domestic campaign.
Despite having two European Cup wins to their name, Benfica have never advanced to the semi-final stage of the new Champions League since the new format came to light in the early 1990's.
The Portuguese club are in the quarter-finals for the second season in succession but have lost all five ties at this stage of the UEFA Champions League and will hope to go one stage further as they face an erratic 'nerazurri' side in Lisbon for the first leg.
The blue skies of Lisbon await...
All set at the 65,000 seater stadium in the heart of the Portuguese capital with roughly 2,500 Inter fans set to be present to support their side tonight for the first leg.
The action at the Estadio da Luz in the Portuguese capital gets underway at 21:00 CEST/ 3pm (ET) / 12pm (PT) with Benfica flying the flag for Portugal and Inter one of three Serie A sides still involved in the competition (along with Milan and Napoli).
Hello and a warm welcome to our Champions League coverage as Benfica face Inter in Lisbon in the first leg clash at the quarter final stage.