Milan (AP) 鈥� Former Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard scored against his old club to help Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw against the German team on Wednesday, sending the Nerazzurri through to the Champions League semifinals 4-3 on aggregate.
It was Pavard鈥檚 first goal for Inter, after the France international joined from Bayern in 2023.
鈥淭here鈥檚 certainly a lot of emotions as it鈥檚 my first goal, moreover it鈥檚 at San Siro," said Pavard, who last scored almost exactly two years ago to the day. 鈥淪o there were a lot of emotions but I had to stay in the match, I couldn鈥檛 think of the goal, I had to remain focused.鈥�
Harry Kane had leveled the quarterfinal early in the second half but Inter swiftly turned the game around with goals from Lautaro Mart铆nez and Pavard on a blustery night in Milan.
Eric Dier headed in the equalizer on the night, in the 76th minute, to set up a nervy finale.
Inter will face in the semifinals. It beat the same opponent in the final four in 2010 on its way to winning the Champions League and securing the treble under Jos茅 Mourinho
Simone Inzaghi鈥檚 men are in contention to repeat that feat this season.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not putting limits on ourselves," Pavard told broadcaster Amazon Prime. "We have a great team, we have really great players, with staff that have been working well for two years.鈥�
The other semifinal pits against on Wednesday to advance 5-1 on aggregate.
Inter had stunned Bayern last week, to inflict the German team鈥檚 first home defeat in the competition in almost four years.
It was a wet and windy night at San Siro and the gusts caused some misplaced passes.
The visitors had a few early opportunities, with Pavard charging down an effort by Michael Olise and Alessandro Bastoni timing a sliding tackle to perfection to also deny Olise, who had gone clear on goal.
Inter managed to slow things down after the frantic start and began to have opportunities of its own.
Hakan 脟alhano臒lu went closest in the 33rd minute with one of his trademark shots from distance that flew just wide of the right upright.
There was panic in the Inter area moments later and Bayern鈥檚 first-leg goalscorer Thomas M眉ller had a shot charged down by Matteo Darmian and Leroy San茅 saw the follow-up saved by Yann Sommer.
However, Bayern broke the deadlock 鈥� and leveled the quarterfinal 鈥� seven minutes into the second half.
Inter failed to properly clear a cross and the ball came out to Leon Goretzka, who fed Kane and the England forward steadied himself before firing past Federico Dimarco and into the far bottom corner.
But Inter equalized just seven minutes later. Lautaro miscontrolled a corner but was quickest to react and managed to bundle it into the bottom left corner.
The Argentina World Cup winner leapt onto the advertising hoardings in front of the Inter fans and stretched out his arms.
There were even more rapturous celebrations three minutes later when Pavard headed in another corner.
The Inter fans were in for a nervy final 14 minutes, however, as Serge Gnabry鈥檚 cross found Dier at the byline, and his header strangely looped into the far top corner from the tightest of angles.
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AP soccer:
Daniella Matar, The Associated Press
