Latvia youth international forward Roberts Kukulis scored in dramatic fashion on Wednesday evening as Inter U-19 defeated 1. FC Köln U-19 3-1 to advance to the round of 16 in the UEFA Youth League.
The round-of-32 match was played in Cologne at a sold-out RheinEnergieStadion, with around 50,000 home supporters in attendance. Kukulis, 18, who has been part of the Inter organization since 2023, started the match on the bench.
After a goalless first half, the game opened up following the break. Inter took the lead in the 50th minute, silencing the home crowd. Köln responded in the 80th minute, equalising on a counterattack and reigniting the stadium atmosphere.
Kukulis was introduced in the 87th minute. The Latvian forward had already scored once earlier this season in the competition against Union Saint-Gilloise.
As the match moved deep into stoppage time and appeared to be heading toward a penalty shootout, Inter struck again. In the seventh minute of added time, Colombian forward Zarate Hidalgo scored to restore Inter’s lead and quiet the crowd.
In the closing seconds, Köln committed all available players forward, including their goalkeeper, for a final corner kick. Inter cleared the ball and launched a counterattack, which ended with Kukulis finishing into an empty net from near the halfway line, sealing the result and confirming Inter’s place in the next round.
Kukulis, who is SK Super Nova academy product, has made 23 appearances across all competitions for Inter this season, scoring seven goals.
