Inter gained a crucial first-leg advantage in their heavyweight Champions League last-16 tie against La Liga powerhouse Atletico Madrid. Marko Arnautovic’s second-half strike settled an evenly-contested affair at Giuseppe Meazza, maintaining the Italians’ perfect start to 2024.
Simone Inzaghi’s side went unbeaten in the Champions League group stages and extended their impressive European run against a top-class opposition. Though goalscoring opportunities came at a premium in the first half, Inter had two decent chances to enter the locker room up front.
However, Lautaro Martinez miskicked the ball one-on-one with Jan Oblak before heading Matteo Darmian’s cross straight into the Slovenia international’s gloves from an awkward angle. Marcus Thuram tried his luck from the edge of the box late in the first half.
Not only did he fail to beat Oblak, but he also picked up an injury, forcing Inzaghi to introduce Arnautovic at the start of the second half. It proved a blessing in disguise as the Austrian slotted the ball into the back of the net from point-blank range to hand Inter an all-important victory.
While Inter couldn’t create many chances other than the goal, they fared exceptionally well at the back to prevent Diego Simeone’s charges from attempting a single shot on target. As a result, they’ve now won all nine matches in 2024 and will head to Madrid on the front foot.
Let’s look at our Inter ratings.
Inter (3-5-2)
Yann Sommer – 6
With his defenders doing most of the heavy lifting, the Swiss goalkeeper didn’t have to make a single save. But he was composed in set-piece situations, making several confident catches.
Stefan de Vrij – 7.5
Back to the heart of the Inter backline, the Dutchman delivered an outstanding performance, barely putting his foot wrong throughout 90 minutes. His calmness on the ball was equally impressive.
Alessandro Bastoni – 7.5
Only a handful of defenders can brag about fending off Antoine Griezmann, especially in the past two seasons. However, the Italian dealt with the World Cup winner like a veteran.
Benjamin Pavard – 7
Inter’s decision to buy Pavard in the summer keeps paying off in these high-octane games as the Frenchman’s experience and quality stood out again.
Federico Dimarco – 6
Not as good as the rest of the team, the offensive-minded left-back struggled to impact the game, perhaps handing Carlos Augusto’s first-team hopes a boost.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 6
Inzaghi couldn’t be pleased with the Armenian’s display, even though his commitment and workload caught his eye. Too many misplaced passes and a lack of creativity plagued his night.
Hakan Calhanoglu – 7
Following a relatively sluggish start to the game, the highly-rated Inter regista grew into the contest, assuming control of the game with his trademark passing and impeccable technique.
Nicolo Barella – 7.5
One of his best showings in Europe this season! Tireless runs, inch-perfect diagonal balls, and quick thinking made him a nightmare for Atletico players.
Matteo Darmian – 6.5
Despite failing to do anything noteworthy in the opposition’s third, the experienced right-back held up his end of the bargain defensively, holding Samuel Lino at arm’s length.
Marcus Thuram – 6.5
Showed flashes of his brilliance in the first half, especially when Inter had a chance to catch Atletico in transition and almost made an assist for Martinez before suffering an injury on the stroke of halftime.
Lautaro Martinez – 7
Though the Inter talisman failed to get on the scoresheet, he was instrumental in almost every attacking move Inzaghi’s side made this evening. His effort, denied by Oblak, led to Arnautovic’s winner.
Substitutes
Marko Arnautovic – 7.5
Carlos Augusto – 6.5
Denzel Dumfries – 6.5
Davide Frattesi – 6
Alexis Sanchez – N/A
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