Conte's Inter not afraid to 'get dirty' in Europa League pursuit

Antonio Conte said his Inter side are happy to "get dirty" in their pursuit of the Europa League title after overcoming Getafe 2-0 in the last 16.

In a one-legged encounter in Germany, goals from Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen ensured Inter's place in the quarter-finals, with Rangers or Bayer Leverkusen up next.

Things could have been different for Getafe, with veteran striker Jorge Molina missing a penalty shortly after coming off the bench before Eriksen finally settled the contest with seven minutes to go.

Inter's performance left Conte pleased, with the former Chelsea and Juventus coach hailing his side's willingness to go toe-to-toe with a robust Getafe team.

"We knew full well the difficulties this game could bring," Conte told Sky Italia.

"Getafe started strong. They were going for the second ball and to make it physical. They were stronger at the beginning, but we got the game in hand and started to pass the ball around.

| BIG ROM@RomeluLukaku9 has now scored goals in all competitions for Inter this campaign The last Nerazzurri player to find the net at least 30 times in a single season was @setoo9 in 2010/11 (37) #InterGetafe #UEL #FORZAINTER pic.twitter.com/n2Ggiu8YxX

— Inter (@Inter_en) August 5, 2020

"We expected it to be a dirty game and we were not afraid to get dirty with them. That's a great sign, as it's that determination to get stuck in and fight for every ball, something we missed at times this season.

"Progressing in Europe is also a chance to gain experience. I am happy with the performance. We could've had an even better scoreline. We had more chances to score.

"They proved they want to keep going and aren't ready to go on vacation yet."