Barca sends Inter crashing out of Champions League
MILAN ILAN: Teenage T prodigy di Ansu A Fati became the youngest player to score a Champions League goal as a second- string Barcelona side beat Inter Milan 2- 1 to send the Italians crashing out of the competition on Tuesday ( Wednesday in Manila).
The 17- year- old GuineaBissau- born attacker picked up a Luis Suarez cross to fire home four minutes from time to become the youngest player to score in the Champions League.
Barcelona was already through to the knockout stages as Group F winners and they left six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi at home.
But Serie A leaders Inter needed a win over the La Liga leaders or to match Borussia Dortmund’s result at home to Slavia Prague to qualify on their superior head-to-head record.
Instead the Germans made it through to the knockout rounds with a 2- 1 win to finish three points ahead of thirdplaced Inter, who go into the Europa League.
“Seeing replays of Fa t i ’ s goal hurt,” said Inter coach Antonio Conte.
“It’s a goal that cut our legs from under us and killed us from all points of view.
“We lacked that pinch of cyni
I have little to reproach my players, they have given everything.”
Born scorer
Debutant Carles Perez had put the Spaniards ahead after 23 minutes at the San Siro, but Romelu Lukaku drilled in a equaliser just before the break to keep the hosts in the tie.
Inter’s forward pair of Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez had three goals ruled offside between them, two for the Argentine who
the competition this year.
Suarez had started on the bench with Antoine Griezmann and Perez leading the Spaniards attack.
Th The Spaniards i d weathered th d an early Inter blitz on goal buoyed by the 72,000 crowd.
Danilo D’Ambrosio
Sblasted