Atletico Madrid 2-1 Inter Milan (agg 2-2, 3-2 penalties): Diego Simeone’s side go through after shootout
Simeone #Simeone
Lautaro Martinez missed the crucial penalty for Inter Milan as Atletico Madrid claimed a shootout victory to move into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Inter held a 1-0 lead from the first leg going into this game and doubled that lead when Federico Dimarco put them ahead after half an hour – but Atleti instantly responded through Antoine Griezmann’s leveller on the night two minutes later.
With the Spanish side still needing a goal to stay in the competition, the home side had to wait until 87 minutes as Memphis Depay scored a slick finish to send the Wanda Metropolitano into bedlam.
With the scores level, both sides missed chances in an eventful extra-time period but could not be separated – so penalties ensued. Alexis Sanchez’s miss was immediately cancelled out by Saul Niguez’s failed effort from 12 yards – before Davy Klaassen missed straight afterwards to hand the shootout advantage to Atleti.
With Martinez needing to score to keep his side in the contest, the Inter captain blazed over – seeing his side’s chances of progression go in the process.
Image: Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez misses in the penalty shootout
“In the end it’s a bit about luck in the shootout,” Atleti goalkeeper Jan Oblak said after the game. “Because you have to choose the correct side and you have to make the stop.
“If the player takes the kick perfectly, it’s impossible to stop it. Gladly, I was able to make the saves. What matters is the victory and that we made it to the quarter-finals.”
The Champions League represents Atletico’s last realistic chance of a title this season. They were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey and sit fourth in LaLiga, 14 points behind leaders Real Madrid.
How Simeone and Atleti did it again Image: Atletico Madrid’s head coach Diego Simeone celebrates at the end of the game
Atletico failed to get a single shot on target in the first leg at the San Siro but began fast, backed by a rocking home crowd in Madrid.
It was Inter, though, who opened the scoring. Nicolo Barella received the ball in the area and pulled it back to the waiting Dimarco who drove his shot straight down the middle past Oblak.
Atletico, now 2-0 down on aggregate, hit back immediately. Koke lifted a pass into the area which two Inter players missed completely as it fell to Griezmann who spun and made no mistake from close range.
Shortly before the break Griezmann was almost in again but his shot was deflected away by Benjamin Pavard with Sommer committed the other way.
Martinez set up two great chances for Inter to finish off the tie but Marcus Thuram and Nicolo Barella failed to take advantage when through on goal.
They were made to pay as Koke was again the provider. His pass into the box found Depay who swivelled and powered his shot to the bottom corner.
Image: Atleti players celebrate Depay’s late leveller to take the game into extra-time
Atletico could have won it before extra-time when Griezmann’s pass set up Rodrigo Riquelme but he sent his first-time shot over the bar to leave Diego Simeone face down on the sidelines in disbelief.
Atletico made the most of the penalty shootout and the stadium erupted as their manager was brought to tears after beating his former club and ex-team mate Simone Inzaghi.
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