Feyenoord’s lingering Champions League hopes were snuffed out in Milan as an early goal by Markus Thuram left them with an impossible task.

The Rotterdammers reached the last 16 with a sensational two-leg victory over Inter’s city rivals AC Milan in the play-off round, but the Serie A leaders proved too strong for Robin van Persie’s side, who were missing several key players including their injured talisman Igor Paixão.

After a cagey opening eight minutes, Thuram drifted in from the left-hand side and was given time to lay the ball on to his right foot before unleashing a shot past Timon Wellenreuther into the top corner.

Feyenoord were handed a lifeline just before half-time when Jakob Moder scored from the penalty spot after Hakan Çalanoglu’s boot brushed his achilles heel in the area.

But five minutes after the restart Inter were awarded a spot-kick of their own when Thomas Beelen fouled Mehdi Taremi and Çalanoglu stepped up to slip the ball under Wellenreuther’s outstretched hand.

The Italians thought they had won a second spot-kick when Thuram went down under Beelen’s lunging challenge, but video replays showed the striker was already on his way to the floor before Beelen could reach him, earning him a yellow card for diving.

Minutes later Thuram almost made amends when his shot crashed off the underside of the bar, while David Hancko had Feyenoord’s best chance when he made space for himself on the left before firing over the top.

The defeat effectively ends Dutch interest in this season’s Champions League, unless PSV can somehow overturn a 7-1 deficit against Arsenal in London on Wednesday evening.