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Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Inter Milan kept alive their unlikely hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League with the victory over Group B leaders Borussia Monchengladbach.
The German team could have sealed the top spot with victory, but now three points separate the four teams in the group heading into the final round of matches next week.
Alassane Plea disallowed Matteo Darmian’s first goal before the break.
Lukaku scored twice in nine minutes to make it 3-1, before Plea’s second.
There was late drama as Ashley Young missed an excellent opportunity to put the result in doubt, before a VAR review with seven minutes to go denied Plea her hat-trick and ensured that Antonio Conte’s team remained in the league competition this season for at least one more game.
Real Madrid were defeated 2-0 by Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday. There is still everything to play for as Real Monchengladbach and Inter welcome Shakhtar on December 9.
It had been a miserable European campaign for Inter de Conte, second in the Italian top flight, but with just two points from their first four Champions League group games.
Darmian made sure Inter’s early dominance was rewarded when he came in from a tight angle after 17 minutes, but Mönchengladbach responded well to equalize before the break.
The momentum changed again when Lukaku fired from Conte’s side, two minutes after Lautaro Martinez hit the post from the edge of the penalty area.
The second from the former Manchester United and Everton striker, assisted by Achraf Hakimi, seemed to have put Inter out of reach, but Marcus Thuram sent Plea to prepare for a nervous finish.
Young’s failure from a yard appeared to have cost Inter, but a VAR review found Breel Embolo in an offside position after Plea thought he had sent the Bundesliga team.
Inter had to win to have any chance of qualifying, but now they have every chance of reaching the knockout stages for the first time since 2012.
