Inter breeze past CSKA to book Champions League semi-final place

Dutch forward Wesley Sneijder drilled home a free kick Tuesday as Inter Milan beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 to ensure a 2-0 aggregate score that qualified the Serie A side for the Champions League semi-finals, dpa reported.

The Italian champions last reached the last tournament's last four in 2003, losing against city rivals AC Milan, and are now chasing a trophy they won twice back-to-back in the 1960s.

Victory sets up a semi-final against either holders Barcelona or Arsenal, who play their quarter-final second leg tie later Tuesday with the match finely poised at 2-2.

Despite the complaints by coach Jose Mourinho, there were no problems for Inter on the artificial turf at the Luzhniki stadium, where Japan's Keisuke Honda fired wide on an early attempt and made a crucial mistake when he jumped while manning the wall and allowed Sneijder's low searing shot to beat Igor Akinfeev.

The CSKA captain goalkeeper was well positioned at the centre of his goal, but seemed to react slowly as he only managed to graze the ball with his left boot.

The Russian hosts did little in the first half as Inter defended carefully, running a minor risks when Czech forward Tomas Necid fired narrowly wide on 23 minutes.

Free kicks from Honda and Chilean Mark Gonzalez flew high above Inter's Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar and Alan Dzagoev botched an attempt from inside the area on 34 minutes before Akinfeev denied Diego Milito as the Argentine striker tried to finish off a counter attack.

A last first-half threat came on 44 minutes when Julio Cesar deflected to his right a long-range shot from Nigerian Chidi Odiah.

CSKA's chances to score the three goals they needed to qualify became slimmer when the same Odiah was dismissed four minutes into the second half after picking up a second yellow card for tackling Cameron's Samuel Eto'o with his outstretched leg.

A fierce drive from Gonzalez grabbed by Julio Cesar was the hosts' last effort before Inter took over the game and nearly doubled their lead with shots from Sneijder, Serb Dejan Stankovic and Milito.