When Inter Milan were defeated by Manchester City in the 2023 Champions League final, it felt a golden opportunity had passed them by.

After a favourable path through the knockouts led them to Istanbul, Inter could - and perhaps should - have won.

The departures of several key players later that summer created a sense of uncertainty, yet since then the Italians have gone from strength to strength despite an ageing squad.

Simone Inzaghi's side are on track to win back-to-back Serie A titles for the first time since 2010, while in the Champions League they are 90 minutes away from the semi-finals.

A dramatic 2-1 victory against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena last week ended the Germans' 22 match-unbeaten home run in the competition, which was the longest active such streak.

Avoid defeat on Wednesday against Harry Kane and co, and Inter will be in the final four.

Can the golden oldies go all the way?

Inzaghi's side are not youthful - their explosive attack and near-impenetrable defence belie the fact that they have fielded the three oldest starting line-ups in the Champions League this season.

With an average age of 29 years and 358 days, Jose Mourinho's 2009-10 Inter side are the oldest team to win the Champions League.

The average age of Inter starting XIs so far this season is 29 years and 342 days - 16 days younger than their treble-winning predecessors.

Bayern were favourites in the first leg, with Vincent Kompany's younger and more expensively assembled side expected to outrun their older opponents.

In reality, the Bundesliga leaders covered only 2.6km more ground over the course of 90 minutes.

"They [Inter] have grown around the same kind of players who have got the experience and the maturity to understand that the Champions League is about moments," journalist Guillem Balague told the Euro Leagues podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Both embracing the moments when they come your way, and to make sure that when you are under pressure that nothing happens."

The older players are complemented by attackers Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, both 27, midfielder Nicolo Barella, 28, and defender Alessandro Bastoni, 26.

Inter certainly made the most of their 'moments' in Munich.

After Inter keeper Yann Sommer made four saves - and Bayern and England striker Kane hit the post when through on goal - Martinez expertly finished off a textbook Inter attack shortly before the break.

Inter baited Bayern into pressing them, before quickly switching the ball to the left flank and breaking forwards into the vacant space.

While it was not a counter-attack, 12 touches were all it took to get the ball from Sommer to the back of the Bayern net.

"Inter are very smart," European football journalist Kristof Terreur told Euro Leagues.

"They wait for a team to make that mistake - and Bayern make a lot of mistakes. They have been very vulnerable in the Bundesliga too. Bayern are in a bad moment; there is lots of pressure on Kompany."

The momentum seemed to shift when Thomas Muller equalised in the 85th minute, but three minutes later substitute Davide Frattesi finished off another swift transitional move - only seven touches were needed this time - to send the Inter coaching staff streaming on to the pitch in celebration.

It was some result, especially given the injury absences of wing-backs Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, two of Inzaghi's key players.

"When Muller scored I feared for Inter at that moment," Italian football expert James Horncastle told Euro Leagues.

"Inter showed how mature they are as a team. Inzaghi deserves a lot of credit for removing the psychological complex they had in Europe under [Luciano] Spalletti and under Antonio Conte. It is a team that isn't afraid of playing anybody."

Inter are not a defensive team, but their backline is a huge reason why they have done so well in Europe this season.

Inzaghi's side have conceded only three goals in 11 Champions League games this season, an average of 0.27 goals per game.

That is the second lowest tally in the competition's history, after city rivals AC Milan conceded 0.25 per game on their way to becoming European champions in 1993-94.

That figure is even more remarkable given the age of their key defenders.

Goalkeeper Sommer is 36 and centre-back Stefan de Vrij is 33, while Matteo Darmian and Francesco Acerbi - the latter kept Kane quiet in the first leg last week - are 35 and 37.

With midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 36, joining Acerbi, Darmian and Sommer in the starting XI in the first leg, Inter became the first team to name four players over the age of 35 in their line-up for a Champions League knockout match.

"It's about match-ups and man marking v zonal," Italian football journalist David Ferrini told BBC Sport.

"Inzaghi wants intelligent central defenders who can throw world-class strikers like Kane and Leroy Sane off the scent, or coerce them into panicked decision making.

"Just one chink in the system can be decisive and we saw how dominant [left-back] Carlos Augusto was against Konrad Laimer."

But don't be fooled into thinking Inter just park the bus.

Inter applied 573 high-intensity pressures against Bayern in the first leg, the most by a team in a Champions League match this season - including games that went to extra time.

Not everything is going swimmingly for Inter, though.

They have started affording more chances in recent months - Bayern's seven shots on target were the joint-most allowed by Inter this season in the Champions League.

In Serie A, Inter are just three points ahead of title challengers Napoli, a side who went five games without a win between February and March.

At this stage last season, Inter had 12 more points and were 14 clear at the top of the table. The drop off in 2024-25 has earned Inzaghi criticism in the Italian media.

"Inter have only kept one clean sheet in the past six League games at San Siro," said Ferrini. "And Inter have struggled at home this season against big rivals. Bayern pose a significant threat."

So, can Inter - unbeaten in their past 14 Champions League home games - see off Bayern and go all the way?

Bayern were the last team to beat them at San Siro, and have never lost there.

"I am not sure. I think we may have to be happy with the Scudetto this year," writer and Inter fan Naomi Accardi told BBC Sport.

"However, of course it would be amazing. As a fan, it would mean everything."

Unsurprisingly, Accardi's favourite Inter side is Mourinho's European champions.

With victory in Munich last week, Inter have won five consecutive Champions League matches.

Things went pretty well the last time they managed that, 15 seasons ago.