Mourinho was greeted by fans at the San Siro in his first match against his former team as coach.
Eden Djiko scored the goal for Inter after two minutes, and Nicolo Barilla was close to adding the second goal, but he hit the crossbar.
Chilean Sanchez fired a massive shot into the top corner of the net from 25 yards in the second half to send Inter to the semi-final against the winner of Wednesday’s match between Milan and Lazio..
The night was full of emotions for coach Mourinho, who led Inter to win the league title twice in a row, and also achieved an unprecedented treble of titles for this club during his presence from 2008 to 2010..
Inter fans chanted Mourinho’s name and raised a banner that read: “Welcome Jose, home“.
“They welcomed me in a wonderful way, the officials gave me a beautiful gift and the fans were very kind to me. It is very emotional. I can only say thank you. I will never hide my eternal relationship with Inter,” Mourinho told Mediaset TV.“.
“But I came here to win, for my Roma team and my fans, and we couldn’t. Except for the first five minutes, we played very well,” the Portuguese coach added.“.
Juventus play Sassuolo and Fiorentina vs Atalanta in the rest of the Italian Cup quarter-finals on Thursday.
Mourinho’s first season with Roma witnessed many ups and downs, but Inter fans showed all their appreciation to the Portuguese coach and celebrated his return after 4,293 days since his last match with the team in May 2010..
But shortly after the start, the smile disappeared from Mourinho’s face, as Inter advanced early and tried to make up for his loss at the top of the city against Milan..
Dzeko, the former Roma striker, scored the early lead for Inter after a cross from his colleague Ivan Perisic.
Inter took control of the game early, and Barilla hit the crossbar, before Nicolo Zaniolo fired a shot that was saved by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic..
Inter were dealt a blow after Italy international defender Alessandro Bastoni was forced off the field with an ankle injury.
The two goalkeepers sparkled after the break, and Handanovic saved a deflected shot, and Rui Patricio saved a dangerous attempt from Barilla..
Inter defender Milan Shkriniar saved a dangerous attempt on the goal line, after Zaniolo dribbled past Handanovic and fired from a narrow angle and was close to equalizing..
But Inter’s tension ended in the 68th minute, as Sanchez found space on the edge of the penalty area and fired a massive shot into the net.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said, “The players played wonderfully, because the match was not easy. Roma have potential and a strong squad, but we deserve to reach the semi-finals.”“.
