Very close, very tight, very disputed, as expected, the match between Inter Milan and Atlético de Madrid turned out to be, who won the Italians 1-0 in the first leg to leave open the key to the round of 16 of the Champions League.
It was a first half of those that coaches love and spectators hate: a lot of formality in the midfield, many – too many – precautions in defense to annihilate any initiative before the ball reached the goalkeeper, and so on 45 minutes: just as I suspected with an Italian team and one of ‘Cholo Simeone, they did not get hurt and in fact they gave the impression that they could play three games like that, without getting hurt.
A couple of missed chances from Lautaro Martínez and a little more from Thuram before retiring injured, and a couple of timid attempts from Lino and Hermoso. So to rest.
Fortunately, for the complement the locals came out more awake, more responsible with a fan who did their part by encouraging without becoming exhausted. And it was the newcomer Arnautovic who attempted the most with three chances, one at 63 that was almost unforgivable: touch, partnerships, a cross to Lautaro and the Argentine’s surprise when he served as a pivot and not as a finisher to put the goal on his feet. his partner, who shot the shot into the clouds. Seriously, this also happens in the Champions League.
Arnautovic did not know that he would miss again in front of the goal but it would slip away incredibly, nor did Lautaro that he would turn Oblak into a figure with that powerful shot that the goalkeeper saved, but Inter did know that between the two they would create the winning goal 78 minutes: the Argentine would take a ball in the middle and finish, but Oblak would save, although giving the rebound that was left to the Austrian to define between the Slovenian and his defender. Nice goal, wild celebration, as revenge.
And Atlético would remember the goal in front, Morata had just arrived and was trying to cause concern with his projections but without partners, because Griezmann had been injured and De Paul played a mediocre game.
Inter would smell the pain and would look for a second goal, with Lautaro Martínez again as the axis until he was replaced by Alexis Sánchez, but in the end there would be no way to do any more damage to Simeone’s men, who are not giving up the key to the Champions League round of 16 and they promise a fight at the Wanda Metropolitano.