Atletico Madrid needed a penalty shootout to edge past Inter Milan and reach the Champions league quarter-finals after a dramatic round-of-16 clash ended 2-2 on aggregate on Wednesday.
When Inter, who won the first leg 1-0 at home, took the lead at the Metropolitano it looked as if Atletico were on their way out, but they hit back and found a way to take it to penalties.
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Jan Oblak saved from Alexis Sanchez and Davy Klaassen and Inter’s Yann Sommer kept out Saúl Ñíguez‘s effort, leaving Lautaro Martínez to to keep their hopes alive.
The Argentina striker blasted his penalty over the bar to send Atletico through 3-2 in the shootout after the match finished 2-1 to the Spanish side in extra time.
Inter opened the scoring in the 33rd minute through Federico Dimarco, but Atletico hit back two minutes later through Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay‘s late strike sent the tie to extra time.
Both teams had chances to win it in extra time, but it was Diego Simeone’s side who held their nerve and last season’s beaten finalists exited the competition.
Atletico failed to get a single shot on target in the first leg at the San Siro, but began fast backed by a rocking home crowd in Madrid.
It was Inter, though, who opened the scoring. Nicolò Barella received the ball in the area and pulled it back to the waiting Dimarco, who drove his shot straight down the middle past Oblak.
Atletico, now 2-0 down on aggregate, hit back immediately. Koke lifted a pass into the area which two Inter players missed completely and it fell to Griezmann, who spun and made no mistake from close range.
Shortly before the break Griezmann was almost in again, but his shot was deflected away by Benjamin Pavard with Sommer committed the other way and the sides went in level at the break.
Martinez set up two great chances for Inter to finish off the tie, but Marcus Thuram and Barella failed to take advantage when through on goal.
They were made to pay as Koke was again the provider, as his pass into the box found Depay who turned and powered his shot to the bottom corner.
Atletico could have won it before extra time when Griezmann’s pass set up Rodrigo Riquelme, but he sent his first-time shot over the bar to leave Simeone face down on the sidelines in disbelief.
The hosts made the most of the penalty shootout and the stadium erupted as Simeone was brought to tears after beating his former club and ex-team mate Simone Inzaghi.