Super Stankovic strike fires Inter past dogged Ajax

Inter Milan 1 Ajax 0 (Aggregate: 3-2 Inter)

The Serbia & Montenegro international's second-half strike settled Inter nerves after Adriano missed an early penalty.

For the first time since last season's abandoned quarter-final second-leg against city rivals AC Milan, Inter were able to open the doors to their own fans for a European game.

Twelve minutes in and a corner fell to Obafemi Martins 25 yards out and, his fired a thunderous left-foot volley against the Ajax crossbar.

Ajax had only began to establish a foothold in the game when they conceded a penalty when Stankovic's cross was handled by Olaf Lindenbergh.

Adriano stepped up but scuffed the ball horribly wide.

Inter began the second half even quicker than the first, Figo testing Maarten Stekelenburg almost straight from kick-off. but the visitors looked to be in control until Stankovic put Inter ahead with a sublime goal.

A wonderful run down the left finished with the midfielder cutting inside and bending a brilliant right-foot shot into the far corner.

It was his second goal of the tie after starting the Inter fightback from 2-0 down in the first leg three weeks ago.

Adriano could have made it 2-0 but fired straight at Stekelenburg.

Ajax didn't give up hope and the excellent Hatem Trabelsi's barnstorming run might have set up a grandstand finish but he blazed his shot over.

Adriano missed a stoppage-time sitter but Inter deserved to edge it and set up a last-eight clash with Villarreal in two weeks' time.

INTER MILAN: Toldo, Javier Zanetti, Materazzi, Samuel, Wome, Figo, Veron (Cristiano Zanetti 74), Cambiasso, Stankovic, Adriano, Martins (Recoba 83).

AJAX: Stekelenburg, Trabelsi, Maduro, Vermaelen, Juanfran, Pienaar, Lindenbergh, Boukhari, Rosales (Babel 71), Huntelaar, Rosenberg (Charisteas 74).

Referee: P Frojdfeldt (Sweden).