Lukaku benched but delighted to still contribute to Inter victory

Inter Milan goalscorer Romelu Lukaku said he understood the reasons for not being included in the starting lineup for Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League win over Benfica but was happy to contribute from the bench. The Belgian striker has battled injuries and has been in fine form this season and saw 37-year-old Edin Dzeko prefer him to lead Inter's attack for the first leg of their quarter-final at Lisbon's Estadio da Luz.

But he came off the bench to convert the 82nd-minute penalty that sealed Inter's win, after Nicolo Barella headed home in the 51st, and a potentially decisive advantage for next week's second leg at San Siro. Yes, yes, I understand the reasons (to be on the bench) because of my previous performances but I just have to look forward and try to help the team as much as possible," Lukaku told reporters.

I came back fit, I gave a lot for the team, but everyone else did too. We have a responsibility to do well for the club, now we have to do well in the league at the weekend to have the right confidence for the second leg. Lukaku, 29, said he had been concentrating hard on picking his spot for the penalty kick, drowning out the noise in the vast stadium.

You don't have to listen to other players. I don't listen to anyone, not even my team-mates, I just focus on the ball and where I want to put it. We played a smart game. We also had other chances to score three or four goals but against a team like this a 2-0 win is a great result. Now we have to try to do well in the league as well, which is important, he said.

Inter, who have not won in six games going into Tuesday's clash, will next face Monza at home in Serie A on Saturday before next Wednesday's second leg. They sit fifth in the standings, one point behind AC Milan in the race for a Champions League ticket. Serie A is also important. We are still in a good situation in the Coppa Italia. We have to do well in all three competitions," added Lukaku. Inter host Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final, second leg on 26 April after drawing 1-1 in the first leg earlier this month.