MILAN (Reuters) -Edin Dzeko scored twice within the area of six second-half minutes to earn Inter Milan a 2-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro on Wednesday and ship the Italians to the brink of their first Champions League knockout stage look in a decade.
The Bosnian swept residence after 61 minutes to present Inter a deserved lead after they’d been left annoyed by two disallowed targets and a string of missed alternatives.
Dzeko didn’t want lengthy to double his tally, heading in an inviting Ivan Perisic cross to mark his fiftieth aim in European membership competitions.
The end result despatched Simone Inzaghi’s facet provisionally prime of Group D on 10 factors and means Shakhtar, with one level, are assured to complete backside.
If Sheriff Tiraspol, with six factors, fail to beat Actual Madrid, on 9 factors, in a while Wednesday, Inter might be assured of a spot within the last-16 for the primary time since 2011-12.
The 2 sides are aware of one another, having been in the identical Champions League group final season too, and their final three conferences resulted in goalless attracts.
The Milan crowd might have feared a repeat when some large probabilities went begging within the first half.
Nicolo Barella fired over from place, Perisic had a well-taken strike dominated out for a decent offside within the build-up, and Anatoliy Trubin made three good saves, twice denying Dzeko and as soon as Lautaro Martinez.
Inter have recorded essentially the most first half pictures within the Champions League this season, 62, however have just one aim to indicate for them.
Extra frustration adopted after the break when Martinez’s volley was disallowed for a push on a defender, however 4 minutes later Dzeko struck from the sting of the field.
Perisic’s hanging cross to the again submit gave the 35-year-old a easy activity to nod in his second from shut vary, however Shakhtar virtually introduced the sport again to life late on when Dodo’s angled effort thumped the submit.
(Reporting by Alasdair Mackenzie, enhancing by Pritha Sarkar)