November 30, (THEWILL) – A thrilling UEFA Champions League clash saw Inter Milan overturn a three-goal deficit to dramatically draw 3-3 away at Benfica on Wednesday night. The result means the Italian side finish second in Group E behind leaders, Real Sociedad.
Joao Mario’s first-half hat-trick had put the Portuguese team on course for their maiden victory in the group stage of this season’s competition. However, a rousing second-half fightback, catalysed by goals from Marko Arnautovic, Davide Frattesi and Alexis Sanchez, completed a stunning turnaround for Inter.
Benfica raced into an early lead through Mario, who capitalised on two assists from Casper Tengstedt to give his side a two-goal cushion inside 15 minutes. He grabbed his third on 34 minutes to complete his first-half treble.
Inter emerged revitalised after the interval, immediately going on the offensive. Arnautovic kickstarted the comeback six minutes after the restart before Frattesi made it 3-2 just before the hour mark. With 18 minutes remaining, Sanchez converted a penalty to sensationally level the match.
There was late drama as both sides pushed for a winner, with Benfica reduced to 10 men after Antonio Silva was sent off. However, a share of the points was a fair reflection of an enthralling contest that ebbed and flowed throughout.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
