ROMELU LUKAKU blocked Alexis Sanchez’s goal bound header before Inter Milan crashed out of the Champions League.
The Serie A side finished bottom of Group B following the 0-0 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk – who were also knocked out.
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Antonio Conte’s side saw their best chance of the game blocked by the Belgian star.
Sanchez’s header in the 89th minute of the match looked destined for the back of the net.
But instead it hit Lukaku, who was standing in an offside position.
Inter Milan, who thumped Shakhtar 5-0 in last season’s Europa League semi-finals in August, needed to win to qualify.
They also had to see the other match, between Real Madrid and Borussia Moenchengladbach, not end in a draw.
As Madrid won that game 2-0, Monchengladbach needed Inter’s game to end as a draw to see them go through.
Incredible footage has shown the Bundesliga side huddled at the side of the pitch watching the end of the game on a tablet.
Inter Milan had 20 shots on goal, but failed to break the deadlock against Shahktar.
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Lautaro Martinez nearly got the early breakthrough they needed but his shot thumped against the crossbar from Nicolo Barella’s cross.
After that, Inter forced a succession of corners and tried their luck from long range but gave Shakhtar’s 19-year-old goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin little to do.
Lukaku saw a header stopped by Trubin after the break before Shakhtar began to mount some attacks of their own.
Tete, one of six Brazilian-born players in Shakhtar’s starting line-up, tested Samir Handanovic with a fizzing long-range shot and Maycon sent the rebound over the bar.
Trubin pushed a Christian Eriksen drive out from under the bar in stoppage time as Inter’s European season came to an underwhelming conclusion.
It is the third season in a row that Inter Milan have been kncoked out in the group stages.
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