Inter Milan?s Marco Materazzi (right) vies with Porto?s Quaresma during their Champions League match in Milan on Tuesday. (AFP)

Milan: Brazilian striker Adriano scored a hattrick as Inter Milan beat Porto 3-1 to end their reign as European champions and put Inter safely through to the last eight of the Champions League on a 4-2 aggregate.

Adriano scored on 6th and 63rd minute to put Inter 3-1 ahead on aggregate but they were pegged back to 3-2 when Jorge Costa scored his first goal in the competition for more than five years by scrambling home from a corner after 69 minutes.

That set up an anxious last spell for the home side who could have made life easier for themselves had Javier Zanetti scored on a breakaway in the closing minutes. But his shot was cleared off the line by Pedro Emanuel.

Instead it was left to Adriano to complete his hattrick three minutes from time to see Inter through to Friday?s quarter final draw along with Italian rivals AC Milan and Juventus.

Porto, surprise winners last season, became the first defending champions to fail to make it to the last eight in the subsequent season.

Adriano had scored just one goal this calendar year but it was his return to his explosive best that proved to be the difference between the two sides. By the end of the match he had taken his Champions League tally for the season to seven goals from six matches.

The Brazilian gave Inter the perfect start with a somewhat fortunate opening goal.

The striker latched on to a misplaced Porto pass and burst down the left flank, outpowering Jorge Costa before unleashing a left-foot drive which took a big deflection off the sliding Pedro Emanuel and looped over Porto ?keeper Vitor Baia into the net.

That should have settled Inter?s nerves and made it clear to the Portuguese side that they had to take Inter on.

But Porto struggled to get into the game.

Looking a poor imitation of the team which won the competition last season Porto lacked shape and incisiveness.

Inter were little better with Argentine Juan Sebastian Veron and Serb Dejan Stankovic playing out of position on the flanks.

At the break Porto coach Jose Couceiro took off the ineffectual Brazilian Claudio, replacing him with Ricardo Quaresma and he made a swift impact with a 53rd minute shot whistling just wide off the post.

It was a different game now and Inter should have doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when after more sloppy passing from Porto, Veron burst into the area. But his pass across the area was well behind Adriano and a great opportunity was wasted.

Adriano didn?t have long to wait for a chance though. Just moments later Argentine Julio Ricardo Cruz put the Brazilian through and he made no mistake with a clinical finish after switching feet in a flash to score.

Porto?s pressure paid off when Inter failed to deal with a low near post corner from Quaresma and defender Jorge Costa scrambled the ball home to make it 2-1 on the night. The tie was finally sealed three minutes from the end with Adriano completing his hattrick, latching on to a Veron pass before skipping past Nuno Valente and firing home. (Reuters)