Inter secured a hard-fought victory over Atlético in first leg of the Champions League round of 16

Inter hosted Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.

Both teams played a highly pragmatic and rather uneventful first half. It was no surprise that the spectators at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium did not witness any goals in the opening 45 minutes.

In the second half, the hosts gradually gained momentum, creating numerous scoring opportunities without converting them into goals. Particularly, Marco Arnautovic and Lautaro Martinez failed to beat Jan Oblak from promising positions. However, Inter eventually broke the deadlock in the 79th minute with a swift counterattack.

Martinez's shot was parried by Oblak, but Arnautovic was in the right place at the right time to tap in and secure the victory for his team.

The second match between the two teams is scheduled to take place in Madrid on March 13.

Champions League, Round of 16
1st leg
Inter Milan - Atlético Madrid - 1:0
Goal: Arnautovic, 79