Inter faced a multitude of regrets following their elimination from the Champions League via a penalty shootout against Atletico Madrid. Despite initially holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, they failed to capitalize on their lead and missed crucial opportunities to secure victory.
In the first leg, Inter managed to secure a 1-0 victory courtesy of a late goal by Marko Arnautovic. However, injuries to key players such as Carlos Augusto, Stefano Sensi, and Juan Cuadrado disrupted their lineup. Atletico Madrid, missing Thomas Lemar and Marcos Paulo due to injuries, welcomed back Antoine Griezmann following his recovery from an ankle sprain.
Although Atletico failed to register a single shot on target in the first leg, they quickly tested Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the return match, with Samuel Lino’s attempt within five minutes. Inter, on the other hand, created scoring opportunities through Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez, but were unable to convert.
Inter eventually took the lead through a well-executed move, with Nicolò Barella providing the assist for Federico Dimarco to score. However, Atletico swiftly responded with a goal from Antoine Griezmann, capitalizing on defensive mishaps.
The match continued with both teams creating chances, but neither able to find a breakthrough until extra time. Despite Inter’s efforts, including missed opportunities by Thuram and Barella, the game remained deadlocked. Ultimately, the match was decided by a penalty shootout, with Atletico emerging victorious after Inter’s Lautaro Martinez missed his crucial spot-kick.
This marked Inter’s first experience of extra time in the Champions League since their semi-final victory over Celtic in 1972, highlighting the significance of the occasion despite their disappointment in the outcome.
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Inter