Atletico Madrid 2 Inter Milan 1 (agg 2-2, 3-2 on pens): Jan Oblak the hero as Man Utd flop misses penalty in shootout
ATLETICO MADRID overturned a first leg one-goal deficit to beat Inter Milan on penalties in the last-16.
Jan Oblak was the hero in the shootout, saving two efforts from Alexis Sanchez and Davy Klaassen before Lautaro Martinez blazed over the decisive kick.
What a first half it was in an electric Estadio Metropolitano and one Inter Milan had looked totally in control of.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg they were happy to control the ball and then broke to take the lead on the night and go 2-0 up on aggregate.
It was a scintillating build up that had the home side chasing shadows before Nicolo Barella cut the ball back for Federico Dimarco to thump a shot past Oblak.
His first goal in 25 Champions League matches
The stadium silenced but for the ecstatic away following.
But just two minutes 16 seconds later the teams were level on the night through the club’s all-time leading scorer Antoine Griezmann.
Nahuel Molina crossed from the right and the clearance was met by Atletico captain Koke whose ball into the box took a couple of deflections before the French international turned home a volley.
That took his tally to six in the Champions League this season, nobody has scored more in the campaign.
The second-half was a more tense affair with so much on the line but chances fell at both ends.
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Griezmann could have had a second when set up by smartly by Marcos Llorente but went for prescision more than power.
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi was furious when Marcus Thuram fired wildly over when clean through.
On came Depay and what an impact.
Having hit the post with one effort he then grabbed the equaliser.
The former Manchester United player received a pass from Koke, took it under his spell and then produced a magic finish.
Then Riquelme could have put Atletico through with the last chance of the game but blazed a shot over.
In the shootout, Oblak saved from Sanchez but Inter were let off the hook by Chelsea flop Saul Niguez as he missed.
Former Everton man Klaassen then had his effort saved by Atleti’s world-class stopper before Martinez failed to keep his nerve as he fired over the bar to send the Spanish side through.
The passionate boss Diego Simeone celebrated wildly as his backstreet brawlers lived to fight another day.
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