Inter Milan took a slender lead in their Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid with a 1-0 victory at the San Siro on Tuesday night. Substitute Marko Arnautovic scored the only goal of the game in the 79th minute, after a series of missed chances by both sides.
Inter dominate first half but fail to score
The hosts started the game with more intensity and created several opportunities to break the deadlock. Lautaro Martinez was denied twice by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who made some brilliant saves to keep his team in the game. Marcus Thuram also had a chance to score, but his header went wide of the post.
Atletico Madrid struggled to cope with Inter’s pressure and failed to register a single shot on target in the first half. Their best chance came from a corner, but Yann Sommer easily caught Koke’s header. The visitors also suffered a blow when Antoine Griezmann had to be replaced by Alvaro Morata due to an injury.
Arnautovic makes the difference after the break
The second half saw a more balanced game, with both teams looking for the crucial goal. Inter brought on Arnautovic for the injured Thuram at half-time, and the Austrian forward made an immediate impact. He had three clear chances to score, but he missed the target twice and was denied by Oblak once.
Atletico Madrid also improved their attacking threat, with Morata and Luis Suarez combining well up front. However, they could not find a way past Sommer, who was alert and composed in goal. The Swiss keeper did not have to make any difficult saves, but he was always in the right position to stop Atletico’s attempts.
The decisive moment came in the 79th minute, when a mistake by Atletico in the midfield allowed Inter to launch a counter-attack. Martinez’s shot was parried by Oblak, but Arnautovic was quick to react and smashed the ball into the net from a tight angle. It was his first Champions League knockout goal and it gave Inter a vital advantage.
Inter hold on for a narrow win
The final minutes of the game were tense, as Atletico Madrid tried to find an equalizer. They had a penalty appeal turned down, when Morata went down under a challenge from Alessandro Bastoni. The referee consulted the VAR, but decided there was no foul. Inter defended well and managed to keep a clean sheet, which could prove crucial in the second leg.
Inter Milan celebrated their win, which extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17 games. They are also nine points clear at the top of Serie A and have a realistic chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2011. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, will have to regroup and hope for a better performance at home on 13 March.
