The Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid was the stage for an epic Champions League encounter on Wednesday night. Atletico Madrid, trailing 1-0 from the first leg against Inter Milan, looked down and out when Federico Dimarco scored to make it 2-0 on aggregate for the Italian side. However, Antoine Griezmann struck back for Atletico just two minutes later to give the home fans hope.
Memphis Depay Sends It to Penalties
As the match looked destined for Inter’s favor, substitute Memphis Depay Came to the rescue. His majestic swing earned him a place in Atletico’s lore. In the 87th minute, the Dutch striker calmly slotted home to level the tie at 2-2 on aggregate and force extra time. Neither side could find a winner after extra time setting up a dramatic penalty shootout.
Oblak the Shootout Hero
Atletico’s Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the star of the shootout. Saving from Alexis Sanchez and Davy Klaassen. When Inter’s Lautaro Martinez blasted his penalty over the bar, Atletico won the game. His miss helped Atletico overturn the two-goal aggregate deficit to advance to the quarter-finals 3-2 on penalties.
Inter Form Went Out the Window
The two teams could not have arrived at this match in more contrasting form. While Inter had won 13 straight matches in 2024, Atletico had managed just one win in their last five. But Diego Simeone’s men rose to the big occasion, creating several excellent chances in regulation time beyond Depay’s pivotal equalizer.
Inter Missed Opportunities
For Inter, a run of 15 unbeaten matches came to a crashing halt thanks to some poor finishing. Both Marcus Thuram and Nicolo Barella failed to convert golden opportunities to kill the tie-off when Atletico pushed for a second goal. Those misses proved costly in the dramatic denouement.
Contrasting Objectives
While Atletico can now dream of Champions League glory, Inter must regroup quickly to focus on wrapping up the Serie A title. Simone Inzaghi’s side holds a commanding 16-point lead over AC Milan with 10 games to play as they pursue a 20th Scudetto.
For their part, Atletico await Friday’s quarter-final draw with wonder after this memorable comeback against last season’s runners-up. They could potentially face any of Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the next round.
In the end, it was Atletico’s never-say-die spirit, Oblak’s heroics, and a few key misses by Inter that decided one of the most dramatic matches of this Champions League campaign so far. The journey continues for the defiant Rojiblancos.