Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte has expressed his delight after moving into the semifinals of the ongoing UEFA Europa League following the 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the quarters on Monday.
Conte said that he was proud of the way the Inter players conducted themselves on the field and reflected on the big season that they are having. He revealed that they are planning about nothing less than the Europa League title now.
“Everybody is really happy because we put in an excellent performance. We prepared for the match in the right way and managed to stop Bayer Leverkusen from playing. Furthermore, while in possession, we implemented what we’d worked on,” Conte said as quoted on the official website of Inrer Milan.
“We could have gone through in a more relaxed manner because, despite the fact that we never really had to dig in, the result was close. However, I can only compliment the guys because they wanted to show that we’re experiencing a big season.
“We’ve now got the chance to play in a European semi-final and should be happy about this. From tomorrow, we need to start thinking about our next fixture, because we want to aim for the maximum without having any regrets,” he added.
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku was the star of the show on Saturday. Apart from scoring Inter’s second goal, he was the subject of many more exciting moments throughout the 90 minutes of play.
Speaking about Lukaku, Conte said, “It’s difficult to talk about individuals when you see such a great performance from everyone. Romelu has had a great season, but he’s been supported by the whole team. If all the players do well and play as a team, it puts everyone in a position to perform on an individual level too. Having strikers such as Lukaku, Lautaro and Sanchez is important, but they need to thank the team, because the group allows individuals to best express themselves.”
Nicolo Barella had put Inter ahead in the 15th minute when he drove home the ball that came as a defection after Lukaku’s shot was blocked. The Belgian striker, though, could not be kept away from the nets as he extended the Nerazzurri’s lead six minutes later.
Havertz, who has been the subject of a strong interest from English Premier League club Chelsea, had restored some pride for Bayer Leverkusen.