With a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals and eliminated the runners-up from the previous year.
As Inter let a two-goal lead slip, the match ended 2-2 on aggregate at the end of extra time.
But Atletico’s goalie Jan Oblak emerged as the winner, saving penalties from Davy Klaassen and Alexis Sanchez. Lautaro Martinez of Inter then curtailed his spot-kick attempt as the Spanish team pushed with exhilarating flair.
The quarterfinal draw is scheduled for Friday, March 15, at 11:00 GMT. Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Paris St. Germain, Real Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund—who defeated PSV Eindhoven in the other match on Wednesday—could be Atletico’s opponents.
Inter, who lost the championship match 1-0 to Manchester City, started first in the penalty shootout, but Oblak stopped two of the first three attempts on goal that he faced. Saul Niguez of Atletico also missed; his shot was blocked by Yann Sommer.
Yet Memphis Depay, Rodrigo Riquelme, and Angel Correa all made it through after converting their penalties, advancing Atletico to the round of eight and capping an incredible comeback.
Federico Dimarco’s first-time finish on Wednesday after Nicolo Barella’s pull-back on the left gave Serie A leaders Inter a 1-0 victory in the first leg in Italy, and they appeared to be coasting to victory.
Atletico defeated Inter in a Champions League penalty shootout, marking the first time in 2024 that a match has been decided by a penalty. Atletico, led by Diego Simeone, are fourth in La Liga and 14 points behind Real Madrid. They have never won the European Cup or Champions League, but this season, they defeated Inter in 2024.
The Italians, led by coach Simone Inzaghi, are 16 points clear at the top of Serie A and aim to become domestic champions for the 20th time. Atletico held their nerve in the shootout, despite failing to convert chances when faced with only Oblak to beat. The match ended in a draw, with both teams unable to find the decisive goal before the penalty shootout. The match has been the first of two in two days since Arsenal defeated Porto in a similar fashion at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
(BBC)
