Lukaku leads Inter into Europa League semi-finals

Inter Milan defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in Europa League quarter-final on Monday.

DUSSELDORF (AFP) - Romelu Lukaku scored as Inter Milan defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in Monday s Europa League quarter-final in Dusseldorf, becoming the first team through to the last four of a mini tournament behind closed doors in Germany.

Three-time former winners Inter struck first through Nicolo Barella as he guided in from the edge of the area on 15 minutes, with Lukaku bundling in a second six minutes later.

Kai Havertz reduced the deficit in possibly his final game for Leverkusen with a well-worked goal on 25 minutes after exchanging passes with fellow Germany international Kevin Volland, but Inter held on to seal their place in the semi-finals.

Antonio Conte s side will take on Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk or Swiss club Basel next Monday in Dusseldorf for a place in the final on August 21.

Romelu Lukaku’s fine debut campaign at Inter continued when he broke two more records during their Europa League quarter-final against Bayer Leverkusen on Monday.

The Belgium international swept home the Nerazzurri’s second goal of the night in Dusseldorf to take his tally in all competitions to 31.

In doing so he became the player to score in nine successive Europa League or UEFA Cup matches, breaking the record of eight he previously shared with Newcastle’s Alan Shearer 2005. He is also the first player to score in six successive European matches for Inter.

In an eventful opening 45 minutes, Lukaku also had a role in Inter’s opener after 16 minutes, with his blocked shot landing in the path of Nico Barella, who fired the ball home through a crowd of players.

Lukaku then showed great strength to hold off Edmond Tapsoba, before somehow turning and squeezing the ball home as he was falling to the floor.

Leverkusen brought themselves back into the game before the break when Chelsea target Kai Havertz powered the ball beyond Samir Handanovic from inside the area after a neat one-two with Kevin Volland.

Lukaku is already enjoying the best goalscoring season of his career, having eclipsed the 27 goals he scored for Manchester United in the 2017-18 campaign with two goals during Inter’s Serie A win at Genoa last month.

That double took his away tally for the season to 15, the first Inter player to score that many goals away from home in 70 years, equalling the record set by Stefano Nyers during the 1949-50 campaign.

By hitting the 30-goal mark, Lukaku also became the first Inter striker to score that many goals since Samuel Eto o in 2010-11 , when the striker famously netted 37 times just one season as Inter claimed an historic treble.

Should Inter hold on for the win they will face either Shakhtar Donetsk or FC Basel in the semi-finals as they look to end the campaign on a high.

Their season so far has been one of near misses, with Antonio Conte’s side reaching the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia before finishing second in Serie A, one point behind nine-time champions Juventus.