Former Italy and Juventus midfielder Angelo Di Livio was expecting Inter Milan to go in the Champions League.
The Serie A leaders were ousted from Europe’s elite club competition at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
The Nerazzurri had the upper hand in the first leg at San Siro. but only managed to score once through Marko Arnautovic to earn a 1-0 win.
The Austrian was guilty of wasting a host of glorious chances before scoring the solitary strike in the 79th minute.
Hence, a large section of fans and observers tipped Inter to book their place in the quarter-finals. Even the bookies of your favorite online casino placed them as the odds-on favorites.
Nevertheless, the club’s lack of precision in front of goal returned to haunt them in the second leg.
Although the Italians took the lead through Federico Dimarco in the 33rd minute, the Colchoneros pulled off a remarkable comeback.
Antoine Griezmann scored in the 35th minute, while a late strike from Memphis Depay forced extra time.
The Spaniards eventually prevailed in penalty shootouts, with their goalkeeper Jan Oblak emerging as the ultimate hero.
This outcome surprised Di Livio who was backing Simone Inzaghi’s men to cement a place in the quarter-finals.
The 57-year-old was left disappointed by the club’s premature elimination.
“I believed in Inter’s path in the Champions League. Shame about the result.” said the former Juventus midfielder in his interview with TV Play via FcInterNews.
The Nerazzurri missed thrice in the penalty shootouts. Oblak managed to deny the attempts of Alexis Sanchez and Davy Klaassen while Lautaro Martinez sent the final shot to the stands.
“Anyone can miss penalties. You can train for as long as you want, but when the chance presents itself from the spot, many things can change in that instance.
Angelo Di Livio Expected Inter Milan To Go Through Against Atletico Madrid
“When your team is ahead, you can shoot more calmly, However, Lautaro’s penalty was a heavy one with Inter already trailing.”
On the other hand, Di Livio credits the Atletico Madrid players for their serenity during the match.
“Atletico’s players were much calmer than their Inter counterparts. When the Champions League anthem plays, everything changes. There is an exhilarating atmosphere in that stadium.
“Inter also had several chances and they could have made it 3-1. Inter missed out on qualifying in the first leg in Milan, when they should have won 2-0.
“In the first leg, the Nerazzurri dominated but they should have scored another goal. Maybe they thought they could qualify with minimal effort. But you can’t mess around with Atletico.”
