Atlético had taken more than 50 corner kicks so far this season without finding the goal. And the worst thing, the candies that Baena and Julián Alvarez usually provide, could not even find an auctioneer. He managed to hammer home the one executed by Griezmann in extra time when the 1-1 tie seemed definitive. Atlético pushed, after having retreated too much and conceding Barella’s goal, and found a victory that allows them to maintain their aspiration of finishing in the top eight.
2
Juan Musso, José María Giménez, Matteo Ruggeri (Alexander Sørloth, min. 67), Nahuel Molina (Nico González, min. 57), Dávid Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Johnny Cardoso (Marc Pubill, min. 58), Pablo Barrios, Conor Gallagher (Koke, min. 58), Álex Baena (Antoine Griezmann, min. 67) and Julián Alvarez
1
Yann Sommer, Manuel Akanji, Alessandro Bastoni, Yann Bisseck, Carlos Augusto, Hakan Çalhanoglu (Davide Frattesi, min. 71), Piotr Zielinski (Petar Sucic, min. 64), Federico Dimarco (Luis Henrique, min. 79), Nicolò Barella, Lautaro Martínez (Francesco Pio Esposito, min. 71) y Ange-Yoan Bonny (Marcus Thuram, min. 64)
Goals
1-0 min. 8: Julián Álvarez. 1-1 min. 53: Zielinski. 2-1 min. 92: Gimenez
Referee François Letexier
yellow cards
Dimarco (min. 43), Simeone (min. 63)
He had a game of legs and lungs. He did not have the injured Llorente and Nico González remained on the bench, affected by an illness in the previous one. Cholo’s choices were Cardoso, who had not played since the first League game, and Gallagher, who always comes in handy for his power, his drive and in case he catches a shot when he appears in the area. And Giuliano played despite the reservations that the medical services had for fear of a break that would send him to the infirmary for two months. The losses, the entity of the rival and the need to win took precedence over precautions.
Atlético came out armed for that fearless match that their coach expected. Inter did not disappoint, emerging sparkling and with high voltage to occupy the opposite field. In less than two minutes, he debuted in the Champions League as a red and white player. First with a direct free kick that the Argentine goalkeeper handled. Then with a cross shot that missed by a couple of feet. Inter had come out with the intention of making themselves respected. Current runner-up, they threatened in those first minutes with Lautaro’s ability to combine on the edge of the area, accompanied by Bonny, who displaced Thuram from starting.
If Inter was betting on dominance from the ball and camping in another’s field, Atlético had in mind to run on a free track. Nahuel Molina, who in attack abandoned his position as a false center back to run into the mountains, put a sharp thread that Julián Alvarez needed half a boot to hook. It was Molina himself, with anticipation, who started Giuliano’s motorcycle. Carlos Augusto’s center was cleared against Baena’s side. The ball remained dead and open for Julián Alvarez to hammer home. The goal took three minutes to be validated because the referee went to the VAR for possible handball by Baena.
The landscape did not change excessively with Atlético’s goal. Inter continued to govern the game. Without danger, but threatening. Especially because of the ease with which Dimarco could progress along his flank to the last third of the field. It was a sign that Atlético was committed to retreat. There he missed Koke’s mettle. Cardoso is not a positional five nor does he go beyond cleanliness when initiating plays. Inter’s trio of midfielders, Barella, Çalhanoglou and Zielinski also beat Barrios and Gallagher. Atlético went to half-time with superiority on the scoreboard, but inferiority in the game. The feeling that Atlético was seeking to defend the advantage in its area and live on the counterattack increased during the resumption. He was distressed by the balloon that Barella hit the crossbar after excellent control. And also the one-on-one that Musso won against Dimarco after Lautaro made a playmaker to slide a damaging pass behind Nahuel’s back. Inter imposed its hierarchy as a great team. The tie was intuited and it came after a beautiful wall between Bonny and Barella. The Italian international executed Musso with a cross and low inside touch. Atlético had paid for their resignation to play the game further away from their area.
Simeone rectified that trend with the entry of Koke, Nico González and Pubill. The exchanges emboldened the team, later strengthened by the entry of Griezmann and Sorloth. The Norwegian and Giuliano came close to scoring with volleys in the area. And Sommer blocked a point-blank shot from Griezmann. It was a more ambitious Atlético willing to look for a match that Inter could no longer handle. And he found it with that lethal header from Giménez.
