Inter Milan Secures 1-0 Victory Over Benfica in Champions League Group D

 Inter Milan Secures 1-0 Victory Over Benfica in Champions League Group D

Marcus Thuram of FC Internazionale looks on during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Internazionale and SL Benfica at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 03, 2023 in Milan, Italy.(Image-Getty)

Inter Milan secured a 1-0 victory against Benfica in their Champions League Group D encounter at San Siro, thanks to a superb second-half goal by Marcus Thuram.

Despite being the Serie A leaders and runners-up in the previous Champions League season, Inter Milan currently hold the second position in the group standings, trailing behind Real Sociedad.

The first half of the match saw both teams struggling to find the net. Inter's Denzel Dumfries had a shot saved by Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, while Benfica's Fredrik Aursnes was denied an opener by Inter's goalkeeper Yan Sommer.

In the second half, Simone Inzaghi's Inter Milan took control of the game, creating several chances. Dumfries had an attempt, and Inter's top scorer Lautaro Martinez, who scored four goals against Salernitana in the league just days earlier, struck the crossbar with two clear-cut shots.

The breakthrough finally came in the 61st minute when Marcus Thuram scored a brilliant goal for Inter Milan. He finished off a cross from Dumfries, which was set up by an exquisite long pass from Nicolo Barella.

After the match, Thuram expressed his happiness about the victory, saying, "We are happy for the three points; winning the second game of the group was crucial. It's even better to do it in front of our fans. If I hadn't scored, someone else could have, but I did it tonight and I'm very happy about that."

Although Inter Milan had opportunities to increase their lead, Martinez was unable to find the net. He commented on the match, saying, "I had many chances but couldn't score. Another teammate scored, and that's fine too. We definitely deserved more goals. The first half was more cautious, but in the second, we created a lot and certainly deserved a bigger victory."

Martinez also emphasized the importance of the match for Inter Milan, stating, "For us, it was a very important match because we struggled to play our usual football against Real Sociedad. Today, we had to turn the page and face an opponent we played against last season. We are happy that we won."

In their next fixtures, Inter Milan will host RB Salzburg on October 24, while Benfica, currently at the bottom of the table, will face Real Sociedad.