On Tuesday, Inter Milan secured a 1-0 win against Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match, thanks to a goal by substitute Marko Arnautovic.
The forward from Austria, who came in for Marcus Thuram after halftime due to an injury, made up for his earlier missed opportunities by scoring a goal in the 79th minute. This came after goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved Lautaro Martínez’s shot.
This was only the second meeting between the teams, during which Atlético emerged victorious with a score of 2-0 in the Uefa Super Cup of 2010.
Simone Inzaghi, manager of Inter, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance against a tough opponent in both physicality and technique. He praised the players for their efforts, stating that they made it challenging for the opposing team.
Inzaghi stated that this is just the beginning and the next game will be challenging. Despite having many opportunities, we are disappointed with the outcome and feel we deserved a higher score. However, we will continue to push forward in the world of football.
The second match will take place on March 13th in Madrid, Spain.
The supporters at San Siro honored the late Andreas Brehme, a former player and World Cup champion for Germany, by wearing black armbands during Inter’s match. Despite Atlético’s opportunities, Inter controlled the game and their strong defense kept the opposing team from making any shots on goal.
Samuel Lino was the first to have a chance for Atlético, but his attempt with his right foot narrowly missed the far post. Martínez and Thuram also had chances to score for Inter before halftime, but were unable to overcome a strong defense. Their shots were either blocked or saved by Oblak.
In the second half, Inter began with a strong offensive as Federico Dimarco delivered a cross to Arnautovic. However, his slide in was a bit late and he ended up missing the ball from a close distance. Around the 60-minute mark, the home fans were once again disappointed as Arnautovic had a clear shot at goal but sent it over the crossbar. However, he redeemed himself by scoring the winning goal towards the end of the game.
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Arnautovic told Mediaset that he was grateful to have scored on his third opportunity after missing a few shots. He expressed his joy in scoring for the fans who came to support him, as well as for his teammates and family who were in attendance.
Inzaghi was both relieved and worried after the team’s victory, as Thuram, a key player this season, was taken out at halftime due to a possible leg injury. The 26-year-old has been a valuable asset with 12 goals and 11 assists in all matches.
Inzaghi stated, “He will undergo tests and we are optimistic that he will not be out for an extended period of time.”
Source: theguardian.com
