Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi admitted he had only previously dreamt about his team reaching the final four of the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri were drawn into what was considered a 'group of death' earlier in the tournament when they were put in with Bayern Munich and Barcelona, making it through as runners-up ahead of the LaLiga giants.

Inter beat Benfica 5-3 on aggregate following a 3-3 draw at San Siro in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, meaning they will face city rivals Milan in the semis for the first time since the 2002-03 season, while it will also be the first time the two will meet five times in one season.

"There is great happiness," Inzaghi said after the game. "We played a great game against a difficult team.

"We fully deserved this semi-final, which before was only a dream. I'm happy for the boys and for our progress. We started with a very difficult group with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. We work every day to experience these evenings."

Their passage to the semis of the Champions League for the first time since they won the competition in 2009-10 should relieve some pressure on Inzaghi, who has come in for criticism for the team's league form, having not won any of their last five games in Serie A, losing four.

"Critics aren't a problem," he insisted. "I know where they come from. Some speak well, some speak bad."

Federico Dimarco had a productive game down the Inter left against Benfica, providing six open-play crosses – twice as many as any other player – and claiming assists for Lautaro Martinez and Joaquin Correa after Nicolo Barella had earlier given the hosts the lead.

Roger Schmidt's men equalised Barella's goal through Frederik Aursnes, before late efforts from Antonio Silva and Petar Musa levelled things again.

"We're very happy, it's been many years since Inter made it to the semi-finals," Dimarco told Amazon Prime. "There's still one step left to get to the end.

"We played well, apart from some lack of attention for their goals. The assists? I worked all week for this, the important thing is that the team wins.

When asked about the prospect of facing Milan, he replied: "Let's think about the other matches first. I'm calm, there's still one step left for us to move forward."

Under-pressure head coach Simone Inzaghi says criticism will help him improve as his Inter side prepare to try and secure a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri have taken just one point from their past five Serie A matches, slipping to fifth place to put Inzaghi under increasing scrutiny.

Inter were beaten 1-0 at home by Monza on Saturday and have been licking their wounds ahead of a second leg against Benfica at San Siro on Wednesday that they will start with a 2-0 lead.

Inzaghi says he will not be affected by flak that comes his way as that is nothing new to him.

He told reporters on Tuesday: "I don't think it's strange [for questions to be asked over his future].

"Here at Inter, if you read before the Barcelona or Porto matches it was the same thing.

"It's something I'm used to, as long as they criticise me [and not the players] it's not a problem: as far as me and my staff, the criticisms help us to improve more and more.

"We know we have not had the path that Inter should have in the league, like many other teams we've had problems, but there are still eight games to go and we still have a margin.

"We have to be good at isolating ourselves and try to provide an important evening for our fans."

Inter may have a very different squad next season, with Milan Skriniar on his way to Paris Saint-Germain, Romelu Lukaku's loan deal coming to an end and also Stefan de Vrij among a group of players who are nearing the end of their contracts.

Inzaghi will not use that as an excuse.

He added: "We have to be good at isolating ourselves, as far as players are concerned, we have several who have contracts that are about to expire, but I see them working well every day.

"It's part of today's football to always be criticised or in the balance. We have to be good and strong, with a cool head and always think about the next match which at the moment is Benfica."

Javier Zanetti says under-fire head coach Simone Inzaghi knows Inter must end their Serie A slump as he fights to keep his job.

The pressure increased on Inzaghi when the Nerazzurri were consigned to a 1-0 defeat by Monza at San Siro on Saturday.

Inter have slipped to fifth in the table, two points behind fourth-placed fierce rivals Milan after taking just one point from their past five matches.

Inzaghi's side are still in the hunt for two trophies, leading Benfica 2-0 in their Champions League quarter-final ahead of a home second leg on Wednesday and locked at 1-1 with Juventus in a Coppa Italia semi-final.

Inter vice-president Zanetti played down reports that crisis talks were held with Inzaghi following their latest loss last weekend, but confirmed he had spoken to the former Lazio boss.

The former Argentina international told DAZN: "Let's say we always talk, I like to do it especially with a clear head the day after the match.

"On Wednesday we'll all be together to try to get to this semi-final Champions League that we have been missing for a long time. We hope that the team can respond on the pitch."

Simone Inzaghi acknowledged Inter must show greater maturity in their Serie A performances after they missed out on a chance to move into the top four with a 1-0 home loss to Monza.

Luca Caldirola's 78th-minute finish was enough to give the visitors an upset victory at San Siro and further extend the Nerazzurri's barren league run.

Inter have collected just one point from five Serie A games, damaging their hopes of Champions League qualification. The defeat saw them fail to capitalise on a draw for city rivals Milan against Bologna earlier on Saturday.

Speaking afterwards, Inzaghi reflected on another tough result for his side, noting he feels they are doing little wrong but must be smart to find answers.

"We got nervous," he told DAZN. "We want this victory, but it is not coming in the league at the moment.

"A mature team must stay in the game. We need to direct the game.

"Now we're talking about a defeat that has slowed down [any chance of momentum]. We have to work on it and not just up front.

"After Lisbon, I was calm. But then, we have seen how it has gone.

"But we lose games that we do not deserve to lose, so we still have to be rational."

With eight top-flight games to go and just a two-point gap to third-place Roma, Inter's top-four hopes are far from over.

In addition, they still have the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Benfica to come this week, having taken a 2-0 victory on the road in Portugal.

Inzaghi accepts there is a tough spell ahead, and says both he and Inter must be frank in their self-appraisal if they are to turn matters around.

"We're behind in the league, but we have time to recover, even if these are heavy [blows to take]," he added. 

"This result is not deserved but we need to make more of an impact on games.

"We were the best attacking side in Italy, but now we have difficulties. We have to do a mea culpa, including myself as the coach."

Simone Inzaghi feels his Inter team must repeat their first-leg performance at San Siro after a 2-0 victory at Benfica left them in the ascendancy of their Champions League quarter-final.

Inter headed into Tuesday's contest at Estadio da Luz on a dismal run of form, failing to win in their last six in all competitions.

But second-half goals from Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku mean they are in the driver's seat as they look to get past Benfica and reach their first Champions League last four since they last lifted the famous trophy in the 2009-10 season.

Inter must first ensure they see out the quarter-final, though, and Inzaghi urged his team to replicate their strong first-leg display to seal their progression on home turf next Wednesday.

"I am very satisfied with the match played by the boys," Inzaghi told reporters at his post-match news conference. "We are enjoying the evening and we know we have taken the first step towards the semi-final.

"We will have a return match against a demanding team that was previously unbeaten [in this season's Champions League]. The boys were good; we deserved this victory. But in the Champions League we know that the result is not closed.

"Benfica are a quality team, very strong. We know we have an advantage in the second leg. We will have to repeat the match we played in Lisbon in Milan."

Inter's second-half showing was much better than their first, accumulating just 0.11 xG (expected goals) in the opening 45 minutes while managing only two touches in Benfica's box.

Barella's fine header to put them 1-0 up in the 51st minute was the visitors' first attempt on target, and Inzaghi blamed his team's hectic recent schedule for their lacklustre start, explaining: "Let's not forget that it's the fourth game in a few days, the third in six.

"The calendar is almost impossible, but we are Inter and in these two years we have never left anything behind. We know that there are objective difficulties due to tiredness, but I have tried to alternate a lot. We needed fresh faces."

Inzaghi has faced much criticism for Inter's poor recent form, with the Nerazzurri's failure to pick up maximum points in their last four Serie A matches, suffering three defeats during that time, leaving them out of the Champions League places.

The Inter head coach is focusing on his team, rather than outside noise, saying: "I'm used to it – criticism is part of the job. The important thing is to get answers from my players.

"Despite what was said, I was serene and calm. Sometimes you have to be clear-headed; you have to watch the games and leave aside the results."

Simone Inzaghi knows Inter must use their "heads and our hearts" against Benfica when the pair meet in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Serie A heavyweights travel to Lisbon on Tuesday for the first leg of their last-eight clash against the Primeira Liga leaders.

Roger Schmidt's hosts are unbeaten in Europe this season and have lost just three times in all competitions, though they come into the game on the back of a domestic defeat to Porto.

The task in hand for Inter looks a difficult one, particularly amid their own mixed domestic form, but Inzaghi believes they can prevail if they play intelligently.

"We know the importance of this match," he said at Monday's pre-match press conference. "We have had a great, difficult journey [to get here]. They are a quality opponent. It won't be easy.

"It will be a game in which we alternate between attack and defence. Benfica are not obsessed with pressing. We will have to use our heads and our hearts.

"They are a quality team, with technically gifted players. They occupy the spaces well, and they run a lot. We'll have to be good at playing our game.

"They have lost two games this season. They are a team with absolute value. But up against them, there will be an Inter team who know what they want and what they have to do."

Inter arrive looking to break a six-match winless run that includes the second leg of their last-16 win over Porto in the Champions League.

Their indifferent form, including a draw with Salernitana on Friday, has seen them slip to fifth in Serie A and leaves them at risk of missing out on top-tier European competition next season.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi defended his team, suggesting they deserve "far more" than results show after a late 1-1 draw with Salernitana.

Robin Gosens had given the Nerazzurri the lead inside six minutes at Stadio Arechi, but they were forced to settle for a point after Antonio Candreva's freak 90th-minute equaliser.

The former Inter man whipped in what appeared to be a cross from the right that looped into the far side of the net beyond Andre Onana.

Though Inter remain fourth in Serie A, they are now four league games without a win (D1 L3) and risk slipping further with Roma breathing down their necks.

After the game, Inzaghi reflected on the result and reinforced his support for his players, suggesting their recent record is an unfair reflection of their efforts.

"It's really hard to talk about the football tonight, because we all saw what happened," he told DAZN.

"The team put in a strong performance, just two days after the game with Juventus. The main regret is that we were unable to score the second goal.

"At this moment, we are really paying a heavy price for not killing off games. The squad puts such an incredible effort in and deserves far more.

"As a coach, I find it difficult to explain how this ended with a draw after everything that we created. There is huge disappointment, but it must help push us on even more for what awaits us in the next few days."

The result was not ideal preparation for Inter's upcoming Champions League quarter-final.

They face Benfica in the last-eight, with the first leg in Lisbon on Tuesday, though the Portuguese giants suffered a 2-1 home defeat against Porto on Friday.

Simone Inzaghi defended the "misunderstood" Romelu Lukaku celebrations after the Inter striker sparked late carnage at Juventus on Tuesday.

Loanee forward Lukaku restored parity with a 95th-minute penalty at Allianz Stadium, leaving Inter on level terms after a 1-1 Coppa Italia semi-final first-leg draw.

The Belgium international celebrated in front of Juve's Curva Nord, immediately prompting a confrontation with Juan Cuadrado that saw Lukaku receive his marching orders for a second yellow card.

Cuadrado, who scored the 83rd-minute opener, was then dismissed for a clash with Inter captain Samir Handanovic after the full-time whistle as tempers continued to boil over in Turin.

Inzaghi insisted Lukaku's reaction was understandable, though, as the Inter coach bemoaned losing his key forward and goalkeeper Handanovic to suspension.

Asked whether Lukaku's celebration was towards the crowd, Inzaghi told Mediaset: "Yes. This was clear, but it goes beyond this.

"I see a player who scores, celebrates, and everything happens there. Lukaku's celebration was misunderstood.

"It certainly wasn't a nice sight to see in a well-conducted and fair match until the 94th minute.

"[But] now I have to be clear-headed and think that for the return semi-final. Lukaku's celebration will deprive me of him and Handanovic."

Juve goalkeeper Mattia Perin was left far from impressed by what he deemed to be a disrespectful act by Lukaku, who appeared to shush a section of Bianconeri supporters behind the goal.

"We have to be the first to set an example, but in these games it's difficult to hold back," Perin told Sky Sport Italia.

"It's a lack of respect to celebrate under the Curva of the opposing team."

A hard-fought draw somewhat halted Inter's slide, having headed to Juve on the back of three straight Serie A defeats that have left the Nerazzurri's top-four place in doubt.

Inter are level on points with fifth-placed Roma and just six clear of Juve despite their 15-point deduction, but Inzaghi is buoyed by the support of the Nerazzurri faithful.

He said: "Our supporters are unique and incomparable. We lost a home game on Saturday, and up to the end, the Curva never left us.

"We are Inter, it's normal to expect different results. There was a call for everyone that we expect more and better. Tonight was a great response from players to the whole environment."

Massimiliano Allegri insists Juventus will not underestimate Inter despite the Nerazzurri being in free fall.

The two teams meet on Tuesday in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals, less than three weeks since they last met in Serie A.

On that occasion, a Filip Kostic goal helped Juventus to a 1-0 victory in an ill-tempered encounter that saw both sides end with 10 men on the pitch.

That result contributed to a four-game winless streak for Inter, but despite their troubles, Allegri still sees Simone Inzaghi's side as a serious threat.

"It's a different competition, but it's always Juventus [versus] Inter," he said. "We must create the conditions in order to qualify.

"It's not an easy game. Inter remain a strong side, regardless of the moment [they are in]. Actually, it is in these moments that we have to keep our attention.

"Too much praise for Juventus could lead us to lose touch with reality. We face a strong team, physically and technically. They have lost a few games, [but] we need to pay attention."

On the under-fire Inzaghi, who has led both Lazio and Inter to Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana success as a coach, Allegri believes his record speaks for itself.

"I think Inzaghi is doing a great job," he added. "Inter are a strong team regardless of their moment. It's dangerous to meet these teams now. We need to be fully focused."

Allegri confirmed the availability of Federico Chiesa and offered a positive update on Paul Pogba's ongoing recovery.

"[Chiesa] is available. He had his knee checked in Austria. He has this tendon inflammation, but he's feeling better and he'll improve. He is available and he’ll go on the bench.

"Paul Pogba has partially trained with the team. From Wednesday, he will stay with the team more and work to improve his shape."

Simone Inzaghi did not hide his frustration at Romelu Lukaku's struggles in front of goal after Inter lost 1-0 to Fiorentina on Saturday.

Inter's losing streak in Serie A was extended to their worst in six years as Giacomo Bonaventura's second-half header proved decisive at San Siro.

The Nerazzurri have now lost three straight top flight matches, with Bonaventura's winner coming shortly after a woeful miss from Lukaku.

Having rediscovered his goalscoring touch while on international duty with Belgium, Lukaku was unable to transfer that form across to his club side as he failed to hit the target from close range with the goal gaping.

No Inter player had more shots than his three, with Lukaku not managing to get any of them on target, despite accumulating 1.2 expected goals.

While not pinning the blame entirely on Lukaku – who is reported to have confronted Inzaghi about a lack of opportunities while he has been fit this season – Inter's coach was quick to point out the importance of those misses.

Speaking to DAZN, Inzaghi said: "If he had scored those chances, Lukaku's performance would be judged in a very different way.

"His role is to create the opportunities, make the movements that the team needs.

"He wasn't the only one who had chances today, so I wouldn't focus only on Romelu."

Inzaghi also stressed he is ultimately responsible for turning Inter's fortunes around. 

"There is great disappointment, we lost two consecutive home matches," he said. "We need to work more, starting with me.

"At the moment, we need to be more determined, because we had so many chances to score and we should have done.

"I cannot ask for more in terms of effort, as the players did everything I asked of them."

Inzaghi is not wrong. While Fiorentina had more shots (19 to 16) and got the same number of attempts on target (three each), Inter finished with a 2.8 xG compared to the visitors' 1.2, suggesting the quality of opportunities that went their way was far greater.

Lukaku's glaring miss came from by far the best opportunity of the match, with Opta's model estimating the chance would be converted 92 per cent of the time (0.92 xG).

The 29-year-old's future is uncertain. He is on loan at Inter, but due to return to parent club Chelsea at the end of the season.

Before the match, Inter chief Giuseppe Marotta told DAZN: "[Lukaku's] love for the Inter jersey is 10 out of 10, we'll evaluate the prospects with Chelsea."

Simone Inzaghi feels Inter were shown a "lack of respect" after a VAR review decided to allow Filip Kostic's controversial winner in a 1-0 defeat to Juventus on Sunday.

Kostic lashed home the decisive goal after 23 minutes at San Siro, though a lengthy VAR check was needed to judge whether the ball had taken a touch off Adrien Rabiot's arm in the build-up.

The goal stood, and Juve went on to earn victory as the Bianconeri moved within nine points of third-placed Inter and seven points of the Champions League places.

It was Inter's third defeat from their last four Serie A outings, and Inzaghi was left fuming by the decision to allow Juve's winner to stand, though he was also proud of the way his players responded to what he felt was an injustice.

"The boys were good in the second half," Inzaghi told reporters in his post-match news conference. "At the end of the first half they saw what we suffered and it's unacceptable.

"Honestly to talk about football it's difficult for me, it was even difficult for me to talk to the team after the first half. We tried to remedy it, despite an unacceptable goal.

"There shouldn't be nervousness, but as far as the second half is concerned, the boys managed to keep calm to try to draw a match clearly spoiled by what happened.

"What happened is too serious. It's a lack of respect, and when I feel there are no images [of the incident], it's all the more so. It took four minutes.

"It's an irregular goal that penalises us, in a delicate moment, a delicate match. Conceding a goal like this is unacceptable."

When asked if he had spoken to referee Daniele Chiffi in hopes of clarification, Inzaghi replied: "No, it was so clear that it didn't seem right to me. There are such clear and glaring images."

The Nerazzurri have now won just one of their last five in all competitions, scoring just three goals across those games.

This latest blunt attacking display saw them muster just three shots on target despite having 69.4 per cent possession.

With the international break meaning Inter do not play again until April 1, Inzaghi is confident his players can use the league's pause to halt their poor run and enjoy a strong end to the season, explaining: "With all the matches we're going to play, I need everyone.

"You played a match that you shouldn't have played and you lost. The team would have deserved another result but this is football."

Filip Kostic scored the winner as Juventus made it six victories from their past seven Serie A matches with a 1-0 triumph over Inter at San Siro on Sunday.

The Bianconeri started the game four places below their hosts, but Kostic struck in the first half to send them on their way to completing the league double over Inter for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign.

Simone Inzaghi's side mustered just three shots on target as Juve's backline saw out the win with relative ease.

Inter's patchy form continues, with a third defeat in four Serie A games seeing their Champions League hopes suffer yet another blow as Massimiliano Allegri's men move within nine points of the Nerazzurri.

After Wojciech Szczesny twice denied Nicolo Barella early on, Kostic brilliantly put Juve ahead with 23 minutes played.

The Serbia international received the ball from Adrien Rabiot before rifling into the bottom right corner, with a lengthy VAR review for a suspected handball in the build-up eventually finding no wrongdoing. 

Romelu Lukaku spurned a chance to equalise when he headed wide before the break, before Dusan Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli both tested Andre Onana early into the second half as Juve looked to build their advantage.

Allegri introduced Federico Chiesa off the bench, and the substitute nearly made it 2-0 when his powerful run ended with him curling just wide.

Inter pressed for a leveller late on, but Juve's resilient defence stood firm to see out the remaining minutes for another clean sheet and make it eight wins from 12 in Serie A since the turn of the year.

Simone Inzaghi has congratulated Milan and Napoli on joining Inter in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and says it is "a huge step" for Serie A.

Italy's top flight will have three representatives in the last eight of the competition for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

With Juventus and Roma also through in the Europa League and Fiorentina progressing in the Europa Conference League, six Italian clubs are through to the quarters of UEFA competitions for the third time ever after the 1998-99 and 1990-91 seasons.

Inzaghi, whose Inter side will face Benfica over two legs in the next round, believes it can only be a good thing for Italian football when their teams hold their own on the continent.

"We all played great games," he said at a press conference on Saturday. "I have to congratulate Milan and Napoli – they deserved it like us. So too did Roma, Juventus and Fiorentina.

"There are six teams through, which is a huge step. Now we must all continue, because the more we go on, the better it is for our country."

Two of Serie A's European representatives face off at San Siro on Sunday in a game that could potentially have huge repercussions in the top-four race.

Second-place Inter are 12 points better off than Juventus in seventh, but the Bianconeri are said to be optimistic about overturning a 15-point deduction imposed on them in January.

That could change the complexion of the higher echelons of Serie A, and Inzaghi hopes a decision is soon made by the authorities one way or another.

"I look at the standings, but we are aware there are legal proceedings ongoing," Inzaghi said. "I hope that we find out soon because the teams need clarity."

Inter have lost three of their past six Serie A matches after their Champions League games, including their last two against Bologna and Juventus in the reverse match.

Juventus, by comparison, have won each of their last six league games after European matches.

"We are thinking only of tomorrow's game," Inzaghi said. "Now that we have obtained qualification, we have this final game of an intense period.

"The players are feeling fatigued and we have injuries, but we intend to not look back and think only of the next game."

Inter lost the reverse fixture against Juve 2-0 and are aiming to avoid losing both games against their Derby d'Italia rivals for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Simone Inzaghi saluted Inter's unity after the Nerazzurri kept Porto at bay to secure their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Inter are through to the last eight of Europe's premier club competition for the first time in 12 years, after a goalless draw at Estadio do Dragao sealed a 1-0 aggregate victory over Sergio Conceicao's side.

The visitors survived a late flurry of chances as Porto struck the woodwork twice in quick succession through Mehdi Taremi and Marko Grujic, while Denzel Dumfries blocked Ivan Mercano on the line.

And Inzaghi heaped praise on his players' efforts as they held out to prevail.

"We played a great game, the group came together and played a great match," he told Mediaset. "[We were] excellent first half. In the last part of the match, we suffered all together – honour to this group.

"In football, luck counts relatively, [but] in the two legs, we deserved the passage to the quarter-finals. Now, it's right to enjoy a feat that has been missing for a long time."

Henrikh Mkhitaryan also paid tribute to his team-mates, and the midfielder believes Inter have a genuine chance of embarking on a deep run.

When asked if they could go all the way, he told Sky Sports: "You can always dream, we want to do our best. It's a good opportunity, Inter haven't reached the quarter-finals for a long time, but we have to play with our heads.

"We knew it would be very tough. I want to congratulate my team-mates because we fought until the end. I hope this qualification will give us the push for the next games."

Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian was pleased with the way the Nerazzurri responded to their surprise 2-1 defeat by lowly Spezia in Serie A on Friday.

"We entered the field with the right desire and malice," the defender added. "We came from a bad defeat; many things were said. It was the perfect evening to make up for it.

"We were able to suffer at the right times, and we brought home the result. An evening like tonight gives us so much confidence and awareness."

Simone Inzaghi warned Inter must show more "conviction and malice" after they slumped to a 2-1 Serie A defeat at relegation-threatened Spezia on Friday.

Bartlomiej Dragowski saved an early Lautaro Martinez penalty to set the tone for a miserable night for Nerazzurri, who failed to reduce runaway leaders Napoli's 15-point lead.

Daniel Maldini stunned Inter when the on-loan Milan attacking midfielder put Spezia in front just 10 minutes after being introduced as a half-time substitute.

Romelu Lukaku showed Martinez how it's done by equalising with a spot-kick after 83 minutes, but M'Bala Nzola gave Spezia a first win over Inter when he scored a penalty of his own four minutes later after Denzel Dumfries barged Viktor Kovalenko over.

Inter had 28 shots as they dominated much of the game, but slumped to an eighth Serie A defeat of the season as they prepare to take a 1-0 lead to Porto for a huge Champions League round-of-16 second leg on Tuesday.

Head coach Inzaghi knows the Nerazzurri only have themselves to blame.

He told DAZN: "It hurts, the defeat came in a different way than the others. We put everything on the field, perhaps we needed a little more malice.

"We have a duty to go ahead and I take responsibility for the defeat. We should have been more cynical, we come out stronger from defeats even if there have been more this year."

Six of Inter's eight Serie A defeat this season have come on their travels and Inzaghi says that must be addressed.

"It's a path that doesn't satisfy us away from San Siro, tonight we had to have more conviction and malice," he said.

"I don't believe in luck in football, luck must be sought,"