Inter Milan will defend their 1-0 lead against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash on Wednesday.
The first leg, held at San Siro on February 20, saw Inter clinch victory with a late goal from substitute Marko Arnautović. This win extended Inter’s unbeaten run in the competition and handed Atletico their first defeat of the campaign under former Inter midfielder Diego Simeone’s coaching.
Having secured three consecutive wins in the competition prior to their loss in Milan, Atletico had finished at the top of Group E with a 2-0 victory over Inter’s Serie A rivals Lazio. Meanwhile, Inter concluded their group stage with a goalless draw against Real Sociedad, securing the second spot in Group D behind the Spanish side.
Inter, who reached their first final since 2010 in 2023, are making their third successive appearance in the round of 16, while Atletico are featuring in the knockout rounds for the fifth time in six seasons.
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Key Match Facts:
- This will be the first time Atletico Madrid hosts Inter in all competitions, with Atletico winning seven of their last nine home games against Italian sides.
- Inter has not won in their last 10 away games against Spanish teams in the UEFA Champions League.
- Atletico has lost the opening leg of a UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie six times, but they have progressed from the first two instances.
- Inter has progressed from seven of their eight previous UEFA Champions League knockout stage ties in which they won the first leg.
- Since March 2020, Atletico Madrid has scored only three goals in their eight UEFA Champions League knockout stage matches.
- Inter aims to reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals in consecutive seasons for the third time.
Both teams will be looking to secure their spot in the quarterfinals in what promises to be an exciting encounter.