Inter Milan puts Atlético de Madrid on the ropes

Bad game and defeat for the colchoneros (1-0) at the Giuseppe Meazza

MADRID, 20 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Atlético de Madrid lost 1-0 this Tuesday on their visit to Inter Milan for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, thanks to a goal from Marko Arnautovic in the final stretch of the match after a mistake between Reinildo Mandava and Rodrigo De Paul, and that jeopardizes the return duel at the Cívitas Metropolitano.

In this first match on the grass of the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, and after 10 minutes of keeping distance from each other, the mattress team arrived first with danger. It was through Samu Lino in an attack on the left wing, which he himself culminated with a right hand that did not hit the desired thread.

Despite that play, it was Inter who clearly dominated the game, and in the 36th minute they tested Jan Oblak's concentration. Nicolò Barella crossed into the heart of the area and, with greater leap than Josema Giménez, Lautaro Martínez headed a strong header into the hands of the rival goalkeeper.

Just two minutes later, De Paul botched a seemingly easy ball delivery and Marcus Thuram won the race on the counterattack to Axel Witsel; The Inter striker moved to the right side and Lautaro shot there, whose ball was deflected into a corner by Giménez in a providential way.

Shortly before the break, Thuram himself took a right-footed shot from the top of the area and Oblak, well positioned, saved the ball. In that action, Inter's '9' was injured, and was replaced at half-time by Arnautovic. And precisely the Austrian striker had the first opportunity for the locals to open the scoring.

In a ride down the left wing, Federico Dimarco crossed into the mattress area and Arnautovic, volleying foreshortened, sent the ball into the clouds when half the stands were calling for a goal. Atlético came out of the cave again thanks to Lino, after a wall with De Paul, but without hitting.

Once again Arnautovic and Lautaro, in the 63rd minute, created another intense headache for the team coached by Diego Pablo Simeone. With a wall between them, the Austrian stood in the vicinity of Oblak and shot with his right foot over the crossbar.

The 'Nerazzurri' siege continued, despite the changes made by 'Cholo' Simeone, and in the 77th minute there was another save from Oblak in a powerful header from Lautaro. The tragedy of the red-and-white team, this time dressed in green, was common, and it happened in '79 due to a lack of understanding between Reinildo and De Paul in a situation without threat.

No one touched that loose ball, they collided with each other and then Lautaro appeared quickly to control and go at speed; Although the Slovenian goalkeeper went one-on-one, the rebound came on the left side to Arnautovic, who finished on goal and neither Reinildo nor Oblak himself arrived in time to perform a second miracle with the clearance.

The ineffectiveness of Álvaro Morata and Ángel Correa in the minutes they had during the second half was combined with Antoine Griezmann's injury, initially minor, and Memphis Depay remained on the bench for the entire match. Thus, Atlético's offensive line did not even appear.

Only Morata, with a header that did not hit the goal, gave the Giuseppe Meazza fans a little scare. Simone Inzaghi's pupils skillfully managed the final stages and the extra time, with the feeling of having already done enough homework against an Atlético that will appeal to its fans to seek a comeback.

--RESULT: INTER MILAN, 1 - ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, 0 (0-0, at half-time).

INTER DE MILÁN: Sommer; Darmian (Dumfries, min.69), Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni, Dimarco (Carlos Augusto, min.69); Mkhitaryan (Frattesi, min.72), Barella, Çalhanoglu; Thuram (Arnautovic, min.46) and Lautaro (Alexis Sánchez, min.88).

ATLÉTICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Molina (Barrios, min.68), Witsel, Giménez (Savic, min.46), Hermoso (Reinildo, min.68), Lino; Saúl (Morata, min.54), Koke, De Paul; Llorente and Griezmann (Correa, min.78).

1-0, min.79: Arnautovic.

--REFEREE: István Kovács (RUM). He yellow carded Frattesi (min.86) and Carlos Augusto (min.90 4) at Inter Milan, and Hermoso (min.53), Savic (min.82), Morata (min.84) and Koke ( min.90 3) at Atlético de Madrid.

--STADIUM: Giuseppe Meazza, 73,709 spectators.

--INCIDENTS: In the run-up, a minute of silence was observed for the death of Andreas Brehme, former player among other Inter Milan teams.