Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan denied his team had over-celebrated after beating Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal.
Bayern’s Harry Kane accused Inter players of celebrating “like they won the tie” after the Nerazzurri’s surprise win over Bayern — sentiments echoed by his coach Vincent Kompany.
“Everyone is free to say what they want,” Mkhitaryan said on Tuesday ahead of the second leg at the San Siro on Wednesday. “We know what we did, we know we were just happy after the first game — it was not a massive celebration.
“We want to stay focused on our match, on our game, and nothing else. Because there are a lot of people who talk off the field, outside the club, and we try not to hear or listen to any of that.”
Inter heads into the game with a 2-1 lead after a thrilling match in Germany. Substitute Thomas Müller appeared to have rescued a 1-1 draw for Bayern when he canceled out Lautaro Martínez’s opener five minutes from time, but Davide Frattesi scored the winner three minutes later. It was the German team’s first home defeat in the competition almost four years to the day.
Frattesi was booked for ripping off his jersey in celebration and Bayern believes that the over-exuberance continued after the final whistle.
“I know they celebrated like they won the tie at the end, but it’s all to play for. It’s one goal and 90 minutes to play,” Bayern forward Kane said after the first leg.
The England captain was more measured Tuesday, saying emotions had been running high.
“Maybe it was just in the moment then and the emotions after of the game, maybe it felt like that a little bit,” he said when asked why he thought Inter’s celebrations stood out. “I’m sure if we win tomorrow and go through, there would be a celebration for us. It’s football, it is what it is.”
Mkhitaryan and Inter coach Simone Inzaghi agreed with the final part of that statement, both reiterating several times that they were only at halftime in the two-legged quarterfinals.
Inzaghi also highlighted that Bayern is a bogey team for the Nerazzurri at home — with the Bundesliga giants having won all four times they played at the San Siro and Inter scoring just one goal across those matches.
“We mustn’t look at precedents, which obviously haven’t always been positive in the history of Inter against Bayern here at San Siro,” Inzaghi said. “But the boys are mature, they know that we are playing against a really great opponent.
“We respect them, as we should, but with the right attitude. I think we can have a great game.”
Inter did beat Bayern in the 2010 final to clinch a treble of the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup — something Inzaghi’s side is looking to repeat this year.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.
