Inter Milan Secures 1-0 Victory over Atletico Madrid: Update on Messi & Suarez
Inter Milan clinched a crucial 1-0 home victory against Atletico Madrid in a thrilling encounter during the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
After multiple wasted opportunities, the Austrian striker, who had come on as a halftime substitute for the injured Marcus Thuram, made up for it in the 79th minute when he squeezed the ball home after goalie Jan Oblak had saved Lautaro Martinez‘s attempt. The teams have only faced one another twice before, with Atletico defeating them 2-0 in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup.
It’s really fulfilling. The boys performed brilliantly against a physically strong and technically proficient opponent, according to Inter manager Simone Inzaghi, who spoke to Sky Sport Italia.
The rematch takes place in the Spanish capital on March 13. “We understand that this is just the first leg; the second game will be difficult, and we are regretful about the outcome because, with everything we produced, we should have had a higher score. We continue because this is football,” Inzaghi continued.
Fans at San Siro honored the club’s former star, Germany World Cup champion Andreas Brehme, who passed away earlier on Tuesday at the age of 63, by donning black armbands.
Dominant Inter Milan
Inter dominated the game, and even though Atletico had opportunities, the home team’s strong defense kept the visitors from scoring.
Atletico’s first chance fell to Samuel Lino, whose right-footed curler narrowly missed the far post. Martinez and Thuram had opportunities to break the scoreless draw for Inter before the half, but they also faced a strong defense, with Oblak blocking or saving their shots.
Federico Dimarco’s cross to Arnautovic, who slid in somewhat late and blasted the ball over from close range, gave Inter the attack advantage early in the second half.
After an hour, Arnautovic found himself free in front of goal and attempted to score again, but the villain’s late goal proved to be the game’s winning goal, much to the annoyance of the home crowd.
“The third chance came after I missed a couple and I’m happy to have scored for the people who came here to cheer as well as for my team mates and for my family, who were here tonight,” Arnautovic said to Mediaset.
Even though the game ended late, Thuram, a crucial player for Inzaghi this season, was replaced at halftime and appeared to be suffering from a leg injury.
With 12 goals and 11 assists across all competitions this season, the 26-year-old has significantly contributed. “He will have tests and we hope that we won’t lose him for long,” Inzaghi stated.
Tata Martino, the head coach of Inter Miami, provided an impressive update on Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez’s fitness.
Fans can’t wait to see Lionel Messi play when Inter Miami takes on Real Salt Lake to kick off their MLS season. The Argentine international played in few games during his injury-plagued preseason trip because of adductor problems. Luis Suarez, meanwhile, was sidelined by fitness problems.
Tata Martino, the head coach of Inter Miami, provided a major health update on the 2022 World Cup winner and his former Barcelona teammate ahead of their Major League Soccer start. “Messi and Suárez are ready to play, if 90 minutes are required, we will see this depending on the team’s needs,” he stated.
“We prepare the game in any way to be ready if we come under pressure in the build-up or if the rival team sits back,” he remarked in regards to the game. We usually strive to be prepared for any struggle that may come up, and we think we’ll be in good shape when the league starts tomorrow.”
It was in Hong Kong during Miami’s preseason tour that Messi was criticized. Due to his absence from a friendly, he infuriated and disappointed the fans. There were 38,323 spectators at the stadium, whose tickets cost more than $1,000 Hong Kong dollars.
Messi did not start as a replacement versus Hong Kong XI; instead, he was benched. Luis Suarez, meanwhile, was benched and did not participate in any games. Fans screamed “We want Messi” throughout the second half, and when it was announced that he would not be playing, they started to yell for refunds. When Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham attempted to thank the crowd for their support at the final whistle, the fans booed and jeered at him, giving him the thumbs down.
Despite his absence, Robert Taylor, Lawson Sunderland, Leonardo Campana, and Ryan Sailo scored goals to help Inter Miami win 4-1.
