Last year’s Champions League finalists Inter are on a roll in Serie A and started the doubleheader with Atlético Madrid on purpose. The Italians had a 1-0 lead when the second leg at the Metropolitano Stadium began on Wednesday evening.
It also started well for the blue-blacks in Madrid. Federico Dimarco gave the visitors the lead in the 33rd minute and Inter then had one foot in a quarter-final. Then Atlético woke up. Antoine Griezmann equalized just over two minutes later after the Inter defense failed to clear the ball.
Oblak great hero
The home side then pushed for a second-half lead and were also rewarded with four minutes remaining in regular time. Team captain Koke found Memphis Depay in the penalty area who distinctly put it 2–1. It then became even more dramatic when Rodrigo Riquelme had a dream chance to decide in the final minute but the midfielder shot over before a goalless extra time took the game to penalties.
There, penalty specialist Jan Oblak stepped forward as a prominent figure when he saved two of Inter’s penalties. When top scorer Lautaro Martinez converted his penalty, it was clear that Atlético Madrid would go to the quarter-finals.
