Romelu Lukaku fired Inter to the brink of the semi final after being dropped to the bench.
The Chelsea loan player converted an 81st minute penalty to give the Italians a two goal cushion ahead of the second leg at home. Boss Simone Inzaghi called for a “head and heart” performance after six games without a win, and got one.
His position is under scrutiny but a Champions League win could save his job with Antonio Conte linked, and his big decision was to leave striker Lukaku on the bench.
He replaced Edin Dzeko in the 63rd minute and was on spot kick duty. Joao Mario’s handball was seen by Stuart Atwell on VAR and the spot kick awarded after ref Michael Oliver reviewed the action.
Lukaku's goal also served as the perfect response to under-fire Inzaghi, who prior to the clash in Lisbon, singled out the Belgian for missing key chances in recent weeks. "I spoke about the head. I wouldn't just stop with Salernitana either, I would also think about the chance against Fiorentina," he explained following the 1-1 draw with Salernitana.
"Those games gave us two results that weren't what we had envisaged. Those who write and those who talk a lot are influenced by the results, but you have to be clear-headed. It's difficult in football to put things to one side, but in the last few games, as shown by the team, I'm happy."
The 29-year-old's future remains uncertain, with the Nerrazzuri unlikely to make his loan move permanent, while Chelsea appear committed to moving forward without the striker they paid £97.5million less than two years ago. But this was a night to put that to one side as the 2010 winners moved a step closer to an unlikely fourth Champions League crown.
Nicolo Barella broke the deadlock to help inflict only Benfica’s third defeat of the season. Barella grabbed his seventh of the season with a deft header back across the keeper.
Inter controlled play in the first half but couldn’t find a finishing touch until the 51st minute when left centre back Bastoni Alessandro roamed forward and crossed. Their opener was only their fourth goal in the last seven games.
Benfica’s average age was 23 and they hung in with their energy on the break but now face a huge task to claim a semi against Milan or Napoli.
It was the first time Benfica has lost two in a row for a year, after their defeat on Friday to Porto, and Denzil Dumfries could have made it more later on. Their best chance saw a scramble which kept a mishit shot from Alex Grimaldo out and cleared by Bastoni.
