Inter had already rescued the tie once. By the 111th minute, it was slipping away again. Weronika Araśniewicz had scored for Wolfsburg, restoring the German club’s aggregate lead after Inter erased a 2-0 first-leg deficit. Then came one last corner at 120+1. Haley Bugeja controlled the delivery at the far post, looked up and found Marija Ana Milinković alone in the middle. Milinković finished, making it 3-1 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate. Wolfsburg never restarted.
Inter have seen European ties reach improbable limits before. Their men’s 7-6 Champions League semifinal against Barcelona also required a late equalizer and extra time. The circumstances here were different. Inter’s women’s section was founded in 2018, entered Europe for the first time last season and had never reached the competition proper.
To reach that final corner, Inter first had to repair the damage from Germany. Wolfsburg won the opening leg 2-0 through Lara Prašnikar and Camilla Küver after Inter defender Chiara Robustellini was dismissed soon after halftime. Back at the Stadio Ernesto Breda, Elisa Bartoli burst down Inter’s left and cut the deficit in half with a composed finish in the 39th minute.
The second goal took another 45 minutes. Lina Magull, introduced from the bench, received near the right edge of the penalty area and sent a low ball toward Elisa Polli. The striker met it first time in the 84th minute, bringing the aggregate score to 2-2 and sending the tie into extra time.
Cecilía Rán Rúnarsdóttir kept Inter level with a succession of saves before Wolfsburg found a way through. With Bartoli off the field receiving treatment, Svenja Huth crossed toward the far post and Araśniewicz converted in the 111th minute. Wolfsburg were back in front across the tie. Inter had nine minutes, plus stoppage time, to answer. Milinković used the last of it.
A new place in Europe
The shootout stayed perfect through eight attempts. Janina Minge, Ella Peddemors, Sarai Linder and Araśniewicz converted for Wolfsburg. Magull, Bugeja, Olivia Schough and Milinković answered for Inter. Rúnarsdóttir then read Mara Alber’s fifth kick and saved to her left. Ivana Andrés sent Stina Johannes the wrong way with the next penalty, completing a 5-4 shootout win.
Inter needed a different player at every turn. Bartoli started the recovery from fullback. Magull improved the final pass after entering around the hour. Bugeja created Milinković’s 120+1 equalizer. Rúnarsdóttir protected the tie before deciding the shootout. Inter didn’t overwhelm Wolfsburg for 120 minutes. It kept finding the next player it needed.
The opponent gave the result its scale. Wolfsburg are two-time European champions and reached last season’s quarterfinals. They carried a two-goal lead to Italy and reclaimed the aggregate advantage in extra time, only to lose it at the last possible moment. Head coach Stephan Lerch said he felt “very empty and, to some extent, lost for words” afterward.
Inter arrived here quickly. Its first European campaign began with a Women’s Champions League qualifying loss to Brann, then continued to the Women’s Europa Cup round of 16. On its second attempt, Inter eliminated one of the competition’s established powers and became one of two first-time league-phase participants alongside Austria Wien.
The result also gives Italy three clubs in the league phase for the first time. Roma qualified as national champion, Juventus advanced past St. Pölten and Inter claimed its place through a tie that remained alive until the final kick. They enter an 18-team competition led by holders Barcelona without Alexia Putellas and featuring many of Europe’s established powers. Inter reached it by surviving two different endings in one night. The reward is six more European matches in which to show that the comeback marked an arrival, not an isolated escape.
