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Emanuele Tramacere

Translated by

Inter’s Youth League dream is over: Benfica win 3-2 and advance to the Final 4

Inter
Inter U19
Benfica U19
UEFA Youth League
Inter U19 vs Benfica U19
Serie A

Inter’s 2025/2026 Youth League campaign has come to an end with a bitter defeat. Benito Carbone’s side bowed out in the quarter-finals, losing 3-2 at home to a Benfica side that, all things considered, were beatable, in a match where a series of key moments proved decisive in their eventual elimination. This time, the Nerazzurrini were unable to repeat the feat they had achieved in the play-offs against Cologne and in the round of 16 against Betis Sevilla: a sensational last-gasp comeback. The defence led by former Roma player Coletta (who scored) and his teammates held firm until the 96th minute, allowing the Portuguese side to progress to the tournament’s Final 4, which will be held in Lausanne.


  • THE RACE

    Inter started strongly, but it was Benfica who broke the deadlock through their Italian midfielder Coletta, who capitalised on a defensive lapse with a header to beat Taho. In the second half, just as Inter were at their best, Freitas doubled the lead, again with a header, from a cross by Umeh. Carboni tried to shake things up with substitutions, and the newly introduced Zouin pulled one back to make it 2-1 less than 60 seconds after coming on. Inter threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, and Benfica punished them on the counter-attack as Francisco Silva slotted home into an empty net following a generous assist from Banjaqui, who had found himself one-on-one with Taho. All over? No, because in stoppage time, El Mahboubi’s header from a free-kick brought Inter back to 3-2 and within a goal of a possible penalty shoot-out, but Benfica held on until the 96th minute and the result condemned the Nerazzurri to elimination.

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  • MATCH REPORT

    INTER 2-3 BENFICA


    GOALS: 26' Coletta, 58' Freitas, 61' Zouin, 77' Francisco Silva, 88' El Mahboubi


    INTER (4-3-3): Taho; Marello, Mayé, Bovio, Ballo; Zarate (81' La Torre), Cerpelletti, Venturini (61' Zouin); Mancuso (61' El Mahboubi), Iddrissou, Mosconi (87' Kukulis). Manager: Carbone


    BENFICA (4-3-3): Ferreira; Neto, R. Silva, Oliveira, Banjaqui (92' Soares); Freitas, Quintas, Figueiredo (74' Fernandes); Umeh (92' Parente), Cabral (55' F. Silva), Coletta (from 74' Neves). Manager: Vitor Vinha


    Referee: Derevinskyi (Ukraine)


    Bookings: Cerpelletti, Taho, Cabral, F. Silva, Quintas


    Sent off: -

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