Inter Milan put in a “monstrous” performance against Atletico Madrid, but failed to put away the Champions League tie due to wasteful finishing.
This is the view in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.
Inter always knew that Atletico were going to be formidable opposition.
And the Colchoneros proved just that, particularly in the first half of yesterday’s match.
The Nerazzurri were not quite able to play at their usual tempo and with the fluidity they aim for in midfield against an Atletico team who worked diligently to deny them space.
But that proved to be nothing more than a settling-in period for the team.
As Inter came to grips with the match, they began to look like the same team that has been dominating Serie A for much of the season.
“Monstrous” Inter Only Rue Wasteful Finishing Vs Atletico Madrid In Champions League
Inter had 57% of possession in yesterday’s match.
And it was not just a matter of moving it around aimlessly from the Nerazzurri.
In the first half, there were a number of misplaced passes as the team struggled to find their groove and some ideas didn’t come off in possession.
But as the match wore on, and particularly after the interval, the Nerazzurri started to play with much more incisiveness when they had the ball.
There were a number of breathless attacks from back to front. None better than the flowing team move that resulted in a missed chance for striker Marko Arnautovic.
The end result was Inter finishing with nineteen shots throughout the match, five of which were on target.
Meanwhile, Atletico managed just seven shots. None were on target.
But with all of those shots, Inter managed to score just one goal.
And that could be something that the team live to rue in the second half.
Therefore, the Nerazzurri will be keen to play at a similar standard in Madrid next month.
