Inter wonderland: Five great comebacks
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Article summary
FC Internazionale Milano are 3-1 down as they host VfL Wolfsburg, but as UEFA.com's Paolo Menicucci discovers, the Nerazzurri have previous for comebacks.
Article top media content
Article body
A 3-1 defeat at VfL Wolfsburg in their UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg has made things difficult for FC Internazionale Milano, but the team who have won this competition three times are not about to give up. The Nerazzurri came close to overturning a 3-0 deficit in this round two seasons ago and their 388-game European history is peppered with startling fightbacks.
Inter 3-0 Liverpool FC
12 May 1965, European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final
Internazionale had lost 3-1 in England but were back on level terms inside ten minutes, with their second goal perhaps even more celebrated than the Giacinto Facchetti strike after the break that settled the tie. Joaquín Peiró dispossessed Liverpool keeper Tommy Lawrence as he prepared to launch a kick forward before scoring. "I never saw anything like it, not even in training," forward Sandro Mazzola recalled. The Nerazzurri then overcame SL Benfica in the final.
Inter 3-0 Aston Villa FC
7 November 1990, UEFA Cup second round
Jürgen Klinsmann gave Giovanni Trapattoni's side a great start as they sought to retrieve arrears of 2-0, sprinting onto a long ball to beat Nigel Spink after four minutes. Nicola Berti then levelled things up, connecting with Lothar Matthäus's free-kick from the right, with Alessandro Bianchi's angled volley subsequently finishing Villa off. It kept Inter on course for the final where they would see off AS Roma. "This is one of the games that made Inter history," defender Giuseppe Bergomi noted.
Olympique Lyonnais 1-3 Inter
4 November 1997, UEFA Cup second round
Inter's 1997/98 UEFA Cup campaign featured more than one Lazarus act, with this perhaps the most dramatic. A 2-1 home reverse to Lyon did not augur well, yet Francesco Moriero scored early in France and Benoît Cauet made it 2-0 after the interval. Although Jacek Bąk hit back stylishly for the hosts, Luigi Simoni's men were not to be denied. Two minutes later, Zé Elias rattled the post on the counter and Moriero pounced on the rebound, finishing despite Grégory Coupet's desperate dive.
Inter 3-0 RC Strasbourg
9 December 1997, UEFA Cup third round
Strasbourg knew from Ligue 1 rivals Lyon's experience that a first-leg setback was no great handicap for Simoni's Inter, who rallied from 2-0 down even though Ronaldo contrived to miss an early penalty. The Brazilian international made amends, his low drive giving the Nerazzurri a 28th-minute lead, and Javier Zanetti evened things up early in the second half with another nice finish. However, the goal of the night went to Diego Simeone, who muscled past two defenders before bundling in an angled shot.
FC Bayern München 2-3 Inter,
15 March 2011, UEFA Champions League round of 16
"Explaining a game like this is simply impossible," said Inter coach Leonardo after his side ousted Bayern, the team the Nerazzurri had conquered in the 2010 UEFA Champions League final. Sweet revenge seemed to be imminent, first when Mario Gomez earned the Bavarians a 1-0 victory in Milan, then when they recoved from Samuel Eto'o's opener in the return leg as Gomez and Thomas Müller responded to make it 3-1 on aggregate. However, Wesley Sneijder and Goran Pandev – two minutes from time – stole their thunder.