Lautaro Martinez scores again as Inter Milan knock out Bayern Munich

Lautaro Martinez extended his Champions League scoring spree to a club-record fifth successive match as Inter Milan booked their second semi-final in three seasons with a 4-3 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich.

The tie looked to be in the balance when Harry Kane’s 40th goal in the competition rewarded Bayern’s dominance over the opening 52 minutes to cancel out Inter’s one-goal advantage from the first leg.

It sparked the Serie A leaders into life and ignited Argentina striker Martinez’s predatory instincts as he was quickest to react to his own header being blocked, lashing home right-footed before the unfortunate Joshua Kimmich could react.

Former Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard’s header less than four minutes later rubbed salt in the Bundesliga side’s wounds.

His last Champions League goal had been for Bayern against Inter in November 2022.

Eric Dier’s first goal for the club, a looping header from one side of the goal to the other, set up a frantic final 15 minutes but Inter, who had conceded only three times in the competition prior to this game, shut things down successfully to set up a meeting with Barcelona.

Bayern had dominated the first half, their nine shots the most Inter had faced in the opening 45 minutes of a Champions League home game in more than two-and-a-half years.

Matteo Darmian threw himself in the way of a Michael Olise effort, before Alessandro Bastoni produced a brilliant tackle to deny the former Crystal Palace winger an almost certain goal.

Thomas Muller, with only Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of him after equalling Lionel Messi’s 163 Champions League appearances, had a shot blocked by Darmian with Leroy Sane’s follow-up turned behind by Yann Sommer’s legs.

There was not much on when Kane, seven minutes into the second half, received Leon Goretzka’s pass on the right of the area.

But having stood up Federico Di Marco he nudged the ball forward and struck a shot through the legs of the defender, across the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net for his 11th of the season in this competition.

Inter immediately came to life with Marcus Thuram cutting inside Dier to test goalkeeper Jonas Urbig but Muller missed the chance to make life even more uncomfortable for their hosts when he leant back and curled over a good opening.

He – and Bayern – were made to pay as Martinez struck to calm Inter’s nerves before Pavard outjumped Kim Min-jae to head home Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner.

Dier gave the visitors hope but when, in the fifth minute of added time, Muller’s header was held by the diving Sommer, Inter’s defensive rearguard was complete.