A late goal from substitute Marko Arnautovic gave Inter Milan a 1-0 home victory over Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
The Austrian striker, who came on as a substitute for the injured Markus Thuram at half-time, forced the ball home after several missed chances after goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved Lautaro Marténez’s shot in the 79th minute. I recovered.
It was the second time the two teams met, with Atlético winning 2-0 in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup.
Inter, who lost to last season’s finalists, dominated the game at San Siro, and although Atlético had chances, the home team’s solid defense prevented the visitors from getting a shot on target.
Samuel Lino had Atletico’s first chance, but his right-footed curler went just wide of the far post. Before half-time, Inter had chances to break the deadlock through Martenez and Thuram, but they were met with tenacious defending and their attempts were either blocked or saved by Oblak.
Inter entered the second half with Federico Dimarco feeding a cross to Arnautovic, who slipped in a little later and curled the ball in from close range.
Moments later, the home fans expressed their frustration once again when Arnautovic, free in front of goal, sent a follow-up shot over the crossbar, and the Villains were the heroes of the night with a late goal.
After newsletter promotion
The return match in Spain will take place on March 13th.
