Home SPORTS UCL: Inter Milan Ease Past 10-Man Monaco to Secure Top-Eight Finish

UCL: Inter Milan Ease Past 10-Man Monaco to Secure Top-Eight Finish

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Inter Milan secured a convincing 3-0 win over Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, with Lautaro Martinez scoring a hat-trick to send the Nerazzurri into the last 16. Get the latest UCL updates, match highlights, and results.



Inter Milan extended their impressive UEFA Champions League record at San Siro to 13 matches without defeat (W11, D2) with a convincing 3-0 win over Monaco. A lightning-fast start and a hat-trick from Lautaro Martínez sealed Inter's passage to the last 16, while Monaco will have to settle for a place in the knockout play-offs.




Inter knew that a draw would be enough to secure a top-eight finish, but they quickly set their sights on victory. Marcus Thuram was nudged over by Denis Zakaria in the fourth minute, and Lautaro Martínez stepped up to dispatch the resulting penalty. The Nerazzurri continued to push for a second goal, with Denzel Dumfries appealing for a penalty after being bundled over by Mohammed Salisu, but the claims were waved away.



Monaco's Salisu was living on the edge, avoiding the concession of another penalty after Thuram went to ground once more. However, Monaco's fortunes took a turn for the worse on 12 minutes when Christian Mawissa was deservedly sent off for bringing down Thuram as he looked to break away. Inter's Federico Dimarco saw his resulting free-kick saved by Radoslaw Majecki, but the Nerazzurri soon doubled their lead.


Inter's second goal came when Monaco failed to clear their lines, and Lautaro Martínez took full advantage, hammering home from 15 yards. Monaco head coach Adi Hutter responded by making a defensive substitution, withdrawing Maghnes Akliouche for Caio Henrique. Although Dimarco then blazed over wastefully, Monaco managed to keep Inter at bay for the remainder of the half.


Following the second goal, Monaco head coach Adi Hutter made a defensive substitution, replacing Maghnes Akliouche with Caio Henrique. Although Federico Dimarco wasted a chance by blazing over, Monaco managed to keep Inter at bay for the remainder of the half. The match slowed down significantly, adopting a pedestrian pace that continued after the interval.


Despite the slower pace, Inter continued to showcase their quality, reminding Monaco of their superiority. A notable instance was when Lautaro Martínez's dinked pass found Benjamin Pavard, who drew an instinctive stop from Radoslaw Majecki. Pavard's effort was soon rendered moot, as Lautaro scored his third goal on 67 minutes, capitalizing on Majecki's parry from Henrikh Mkhitaryan's drive.


Lautaro could have added to his tally, diverting Denzel Dumfries' dangerous cross wide. He eventually made way to a standing ovation, replaced by teenage debutant Giacomo De Pieri. Monaco's evening took a further hit as Jordan Teze was taken off on a stretcher with a muscle injury, leaving them with nine men. Inter finished fourth in the table, while Monaco slipped to 17th, meaning they will be unseeded for the knockout play-off draw.





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