Inter Milan’s formidable attacking pair of Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez took control of their Champions League last-16 tie, giving the Italians a 2-0 advantage over Dutch side Feyenoord in the first leg on Wednesday.
The duo’s clinical finishes either side of halftime proved decisive, with Thuram scoring a well-taken goal before Martinez added a second early in the second half.
The tie will conclude in Milan next Tuesday, where Inter will face either Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen.
“Their quality is unbelievable,” said Feyenoord defender David Hancko, who admitted that Inter’s strike force made it increasingly difficult for the Dutch side to create chances as the match wore on.
The match kicked off in high spirits in Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium, with Inter enjoying the lion’s share of possession.
However, Feyenoord had the best early opportunities, with 20-year-old Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Osman causing problems for Inter’s goalkeeper, Josep Martinez.
Despite Feyenoord’s early pressure, it was Inter who broke the deadlock in the 37th minute. Thuram latched onto a cross from Nicolo Barella, finishing with a deft outside-of-the-boot strike at the far post.
The goal gave Inter confidence, and they doubled their advantage just five minutes into the second half when Martinez blasted an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
Feyenoord came close to pulling one back through Jakub Moder, whose deflected effort skimmed the bar.
However, despite a late penalty save from Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther, who denied Piotr Zielinski, the hosts couldn’t find a way through.
