Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen send Inter into Europa League quarter-finals

Goals from Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen were enough to see Inter into the quarter-final of the Europa League at the expense of Getafe.

The last-16 tie, played over a single leg in Schalke's Veltins Arena, could have been different had veteran Getafe substitute Jorge Molina, with his side a goal down, not put his penalty wide after VAR found Diego Godin to have handled in the box.

Inter, whom coach Antonio Conte admitted were tired after the end of the Serie A season, began slowly and only a fine save from Samir Handanovic from Nemanja Maksimovic's header kept them from going behind.

Lukaku opened the scoring after 33 minutes when he held off Xabier Etxeita before drilling a low effort into the far corner for his 30th goal of the season.

Eriksen then scored within a minute of entering the field when Djene's attempted clearance from Danilo D'Ambrosio's cross fell to him eight yards out.

Inter will now play the winner of Bayer Leverkusen and Rangers in the last eight.

This might seem a point straight from the top drawer of Captain Obvious, but this game did show how big sides could be taken by surprise in the tournament.

For the first quarter of the match, Inter were all at sea. Yes, tiredness after the weekend could have been a factor but the strange in-between status of the Europa League (especially for teams already in next year's Champions League) in tandem with the strange feeling of playing in an empty neutral stadium seemed to lead to the Italian giants struggling to warm to the task.

By the semi-final, teams will be switched on and mentally focused on winning a European trophy.

Do not be surprised if we see upsets in the quarter-finals as ultra-motivated sides - like the woefully out of form Getafe tonight - bring their 'A' game from the referee's first whistle.

He is a tempestuous fellow the Inter midfielder as his 11 yellow cards in Serie A this season attests, but if he can get this part of his character under control he could be a pivotal figure for club and country over the next half decade at least.

Just turned 23, Barella, nominally on loan from Cagliari but set to officially join Inter on a four-year deal whenever the season ends, he was a leader for his side in Gelsenkirchen when many others seemed to be still dwelling on the end of the Serie A season at the weekend just gone.

Barella drove forward from midfield and, ably assisted by the tireless Danilo D'Ambrosio outside him on the right flank, ensured Inter took control of the match.

Inter: Handanovic 8, Godin 5, de Vrij 6, Bastoni 7, D'Ambrosio 8, Barella 8, Berozovic 6, Gagliardini 6, Young 6, Lukaku 7, Martinez 7. Subs: Sanchez 5, Eriksen 7, Biraghi 6.

Getafe: Soria 7, Suarez 7, Djene 5, Etxeita 5, Olivera 6, Arambarri 7, David Timor 7, Nyom 6, Maksimovic 7, Cucurella 6, Mata 6. Subs: Angel 5, Molina 5, Jason 5, Portillo 6, Duro 6.

2’ - Brilliant stop by Handanovic denies Maksimovic. A great move from Getafe who look ON. Suarez put in a cross that the number 20 met with a firm header and the Inter keeper at full-stretch pushed away.

33’ GOAL! Lukaku puts Inter in front. A straightforward long ball down the channel from Bastoni and the Belgian striker as he has done so many times, holds off his defender, on this occasion Etxeita, and drills a shot into the far corner.

72’ - There's a VAR check on a penalty. No one appealed for it. A cross from the right flank caught Godin's hand when it seemed he expected the two players in front of him to clear the ball. It's a penalty! Wow.

76’ - MISSED! Subsitute Jorge Molina walked up to the spot and put the ball a yard wide of the target.

80’ - WHAT A MISS! Superb play from Barella breaking into the Getafe box and then winning a challenge before squaring to Lukaku, just outside the six-yard box, but the Belgian striker on his wrong foot pushed his effort wide.

83’ - GOAL! Eriksen scores within a minute of coming onto the pitch. He played in D'Ambrosio on the right flank and then Djene could only block his cross into the path of the Dane whose shot was too firm for Soria to keep out, though he got a hand to it.

30 - Romelu Lukaku has reached this mark for the first time in his career.

15 - the number of clean sheets Samir Hadanovic has kept this season.