Atletico Madrid will host Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Three weeks ago, the Nerazzurri won the first leg of their match at San Siro by a narrow 1-0 thanks to a goal from Marko Arnautovic late in the second half.
Preview (Atletico Madrid vs. Inter Milan)
Atletico Madrid has at least improved upon their heartbreaking group-stage Champions League exit from the previous season by making it to the last 16, but they will have a difficult task in getting there after a lacklustre first-leg performance against Inter. This will be their third trip to the quarterfinals in five years. The Spanish team lacked a killer instinct in front of goal at San Siro. They failed to register any of their seven shots on goal. Interreplacement Arnautovic scored the game’s winning goal in the 79th minute. This was just three days after the team defeated Las Palmas 5-0 in La Liga.
Diego Simeone, the former player for Inter, has been under fire lately. His Atleti team has only won two of their last nine games in all competitions. During this run, they have failed to score five times. It includes last weekend’s 2-0 top-flight loss at Cadiz. With ten games left, Barcelona in third place is currently six points clear of Atletico. They are in fourth place and desperately clinging to their Champions League qualifying slot. Athletic Bilbao is in fifth place, two points ahead of them.
Atletico Madrid will welcome a return to the Wanda Metropolitano. They have won seven of their last nine home games against Italian opponents. They have only lost one of their last 32 games overall. Atletico comes into Wednesday’s Champions League matchup with Inter having lost the first leg of each of their previous three knockout ties. Inter, have won 14 and drawn one of their previous 15 games across all competitions. It included a narrow 1-0 triumph over Bologna on the road last weekend in Serie A. They lead the Spanish capital in striking contrast to Atletico.
The Nerazzurri defeated their Champions League-chasing opponents thanks to a stooping header from Yann Aurel Bisseck near the end of the first half. Simone Inzaghi chose to rest a number of his finest players, including captain and top scorer Lautaro Martinez.
Team News
With regards to their ankle and thigh ailments, Atletico Madrid is hoping that both Antoine Griezmann and Jose Gimenez will be able to rejoin to the matchday squad. On the other hand, Thomas Lemar (Achilles), Caesar Azpilicueta, and Vitolo (both knee) are still out. In the event that Gimenez is ruled out, either Gabriel Paulista or Stefan Savic is anticipated to start in central defence, with Nahuel Molina perhaps taking over for Marcos Llorente at right wing-back. The trio of Saul Niguez, Okke, and Rodrigo De Paul in the midfield is expected to stay in place, while Memphis Depay, who has only scored once in his past eight games, may accompany Alvaro Morata—who has failed to score in his last ten games—up front.
The most likely starting combination for centre-midfield is Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Top scorer Martinez, who has scored 26 goals across all competitions, including four in his previous five games, is expected to return to the starting lineup to join Marcus Thuram up front.
Atletico Madrid 0-2 Inter Milan
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