Against all odds, Atlético de Madrid and Diego Simeone once again reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
Atleti were a goal behind going into the second leg of their round of 16 tie against Inter Milan after a narrow defeat in Italy in February. A brave performance at home took the game to penalties before Jan Oblak made two brilliant saves and Lautaro Martínez skied the decisive effort.
Inter Milan’s game plan was clear from the kick-off, seeking to digest Atleti’s attacks and attack them on the counter. Simone Inzaghi’s team took an early lead through Federico Dimarco after Nico Barella made a fantastic run behind the Atleti defense down the left flank. He found space and returned the ball to his compatriot, who beat Oblak with a good first-time shot.
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Final result Atlético de Madrid vs Inter Milan
| FOOT | Penalties | Scorers | |
| Atletico Madrid | 2 (2) | 3 | Griezmann 35′, Depay 85′ |
| Inter de Milan | 1 (2) | 2 | Dimarco 33′ |
Starting lineups:
Atlético de Madrid (3-5-2, from right to left): Oblak (GK) – Molina, Hermoso, Savic, Witsel, Samuel Lino – Marcos Llorente, Koke, De Paul – Morata, Griezmann.
Inter Milan (3-5-2 from right to left): Sommer (GK) – Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni – Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco – Thuram, Lautaro Martínez.
But Simeone’s men took only 136 seconds to equalize the score. Koke’s delightful move in the box resulted in Griezmann slotting past Yann Sommer to tie the night and put Atleti within one goal on aggregate. It was the Frenchman’s 19th goal of the season, his sixth in the last eight games.
Even though the hosts stood firm in defense, Inter could and should have put an end to the match. Martínez dribbled into Atleti’s half and slid a fantastic ball for Marcus Thuram to finish, but his shot went over the bar.
Moments later, substitute Memphis Depay hit the post from outside the area. It was an effort that left Sommer paralyzed, but perhaps it was a goal for the Dutchman.
He then tied Atleti in the 87th minute, his fierce effort finding the bottom corner after he took a lovely touch to slot the ball past Stefan de Vrij. It was his first goal in the Champions League this season and his first in the competition since August 7, 2020.
Perhaps the most glorious opportunity of the night came in the most dramatic way. In the 93rd minute, Griezmann put it on a plate for Rodrigo Riquelme to win, but he leaned back and shot over the crossbar.
Extra time was a pretty boring match as both teams showed a lot of caution and played penalties. Simeone’s men held the bottle in the penalty shootout and advanced to the round of 16 of the competition, whose draw will be on Friday.
Diego @Simeone has taken Atlético de Madrid to seven Champions League/European Cup quarter-finals.
They had only reached this stage five times before he arrived as coach. ???⬜️#Atleti • #UCL pic.twitter.com/il1fHsElyN
— The voice of the coaches (@CoachesVoice) March 13, 2024
Atlético Madrid vs Inter Milan Penalty Shootout Live Updates
Atlético de Madrid 3-2 Inter Milan: Martínez has to score to stay alive and SHOOTS it over the crossbar! Atlético de Madrid is in the quarterfinals!
Atlético de Madrid 3-2 Inter Milan: Correa places the ball on the spot and finds the roof of the net!
Atlético de Madrid 2-2 Inter Milan: Acerbi crushes it in half.
Atlético de Madrid 2-1 Inter Milan: Riquelme scores his effort against Sommer and Atleti takes the lead!
Atlético de Madrid 1-1 Inter Milan: OBLAK SAVES! Davy Klaassen puts it at the perfect height for the Atleti goalkeeper to make the save.
Atlético de Madrid 1-1 Inter Milan: Saúl has his penalty SAVED! He’s not in the corner and Sommer lunges in the right direction. We’re all level again.
Atlético de Madrid 1-1 Inter Milan: Alexis Sánchez scores Inter’s second and Oblak stops it.
Atlético de Madrid 1-1 Inter Milan: Depay approaches the place… and hits him!
Atlético de Madrid 0-1 Inter Milan: Calhanoglu beats Oblak! That’s some trust.
Atlético de Madrid vs Inter Milan lineups, team news
Simeone will make a late fitness call Antonio Griezmann The French international will not be able to play after suffering a sprained ankle in the first leg.
Griezmann could take risks from the beginning but he is a key defender José María Giménez. It is lost for the hosts.
Atlético de Madrid (3-5-2, from right to left): Oblak (GK) – Witsel, Gabriel, Hermoso – Llorente, Koke, Saúl, De Paul, Lino – Griezmann, Morata.
Atlético de Madrid substitutes (9): to confirm
The hero of the first leg, Arnautovic, suffers from a hamstring problem and could start again on the bench. Denzel Dumfries set to replace Matteo Darmian on the right side.
Inter Milan (3-5-2 from right to left): Sommer (GK) – Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni – Dumfries, Calhanoglu, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco – Thuram, Martínez.
Inter Milan Substitutes (9): to confirm
Atlético de Madrid vs Inter Milan live broadcast, television channel
Here’s how to watch this Champions League match in select areas of major regions around the world:
| Region | TELEVISION | Transmission |
| USA | — | Supreme+, vix |
| Canada | — | |
| United Kingdom | Sports TNT 1 | discovery+ |
| India | — | JioTV, SonyLIV |
USA: Champions League matches are available to stream on Paramount+ (English). Currently, new users can get a FREE 30-day trial by entering the discount code ‘GOAT’ at checkout.
ViX is the place to go for (Spanish) subscribers.
Canada: Every Champions League match live broadcasts on DAZN.
UNITED KINGDOM: This match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+.
India: JioTV and SonyLIV are the live streaming options for this game.
