Atletico Madrid defeated Inter Milan 2-1 (2-2 on aggregate) thanks to Jan Oblak’s two crucial saves in the penalty shoot-out, allowing Atleti to progress in the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid’s players were in jubilant spirits as they celebrated their victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg football match against Inter Milan. The match, which took place at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on March 13, 2024, saw Atletico Madrid stage a remarkable comeback to secure their place in the quarter-finals with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shoot-out win.

Inter Milan, last year’s finalists, had a 2-0 aggregate lead after winning the first leg 1-0 at the San Siro. They extended their advantage when Federico Dimarco scored a fantastic goal on 33 minutes. However, Atletico Madrid quickly responded as Antoine Griezmann punished some poor defending to level the score just two minutes later. Substitute Memphis Depay then sent the match to extra-time with a clinical strike on 87 minutes.

Despite Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram missing two clear-cut chances to win the match, Atletico Madrid capitalized on their opportunities. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak made crucial saves during the penalty shoot-out, denying Alexis Sanchez and Davy Klaassen, while Lautaro Martínez missed his penalty, sending it wide. Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez also had a penalty saved by Inter keeper Yann Sommer, but it did not affect the outcome as Diego Simeone’s side secured their spot in the quarter-final draw.

With this victory, Atletico Madrid joins Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League.

One of the talking points of the match was whether Inter Milan contributed to their own downfall. Despite holding a 2-0 aggregate lead with less than an hour left to play, Inter allowed Atletico Madrid to make a comeback. Coach Simone Inzaghi’s decision to make several late substitutions seemed to add confusion to the team and invited more pressure from Atletico Madrid, ultimately leading to the late equalizer.

The player of the match was Memphis Depay from Atletico Madrid. Depay made an immediate impact after coming on as a substitute, hitting the post with a shot before scoring the late equalizer. He also converted a crucial penalty during the shoot-out, helping his team advance to the quarter-finals.

Player ratings for Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan were as follows:

Atletico Madrid:
– Oblak 8
– Savic 7
– Witsel 7
– Hermoso 7
– Molina 7
– Llorente 7
– Koke 7
– De Paul 7
– Lino 7
– Morata 7
– Griezmann 7

Subs:
– Azpilicueta 6
– Riquelme 7
– Niguez 6
– Correa 6
– Depay 8
– Barrios 6

Inter Milan:
– Sommer 7
– Pavard 6
– De Vrij 6
– Bastoni 6
– Dumfries 6
– Barella 7
– Çalhanoğlu 6
– Mkitaryan 6
– DiMarco 7
– Thuram 6
– Lautaro Martinez 7

Subs:
– Acerbi 6
– Bisseck 6
– Darmian 6
– Klaassen 6
– Frattesi 6
– Sanchez 6

The match highlights included Dimarco’s goal for Inter Milan, Griezmann’s equalizer, Thuram’s missed chance to seal the victory for Inter, Depay’s late equalizer, and Martínez’s missed penalty that ultimately ended Inter’s hopes in the tournament. The match ended in a 3-2 victory for Atletico Madrid in the penalty shoot-out, marking Inter Milan’s first defeat of the year.