An intriguing tactical battle could be on the cards as Inter welcome Atletico Madrid for part one of the two sides' round of 16 tie in this season's Champions League. Last season saw the Nerazzurri make a very impressive run all the way to the final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City, and now, Simone Inzaghi's men will be looking to prove that their strong showing was not just a fluke.
Inter have been quite impressive on the domestic front, where they presently hold a commanding nine point lead over the chasing pack in the race for the Scudetto. The Nerazzurri also successfully defended their Supercoppa Italiana crown after beating Napoli 1-0 in the final last month, and come into their upcoming tie with Atletico boasting an eight match winning streak across all competitions. Although they finished second in their Champions League group, with Real Sociedad surprising most observers by pipping the Nerazzurri to top spot, Inter's record in the Champions League is quite formidable, to say the least.
Indeed, the Italian side have lost just one of their last 13 matches in this competition, which was during the 2023 final against Manchester City. Interestingly, this will be Inter's first meeting with a Spanish side in the knockout rounds of the Champions League in well over ten years, and to add more intrigue, Atletico's current boss is someone who will be quite familiar with the Nerazzurri and its manager Inzaghi having spent several years in Serie A during his playing career.
Diego Simeone not only featured for Inter (from 1997 to 1999) but was also a teammate of Inzaghi's at Lazio for four years (from 1999 to 2003). Additionally, under Simeone's tutelage, Atleti have done very well when it comes to facing Italian clubs in European competition, with wins in five of their six prior ties, and although they are well off the pace in the title race in La Liga, Los Rojiblancos had a very successful group stage campaign in this season's Champions League.
Atletico scored 17 goals over the course of six matches, with their four wins and two draws enough to ensure that they topped Group E by four points. However, they have struggled with consistency this season, although their confidence will have received a major boost following a comfortable 5-0 win over Las Palmas last weekend. Still, they surely will be facing a tough test at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza against an Inter side who have been pretty much unstoppable on home turf.
Team news: Inter vs Atletico Madrid
Inter: The Nerazzurri have pretty much a full strength squad, with only Juan Cuadrado as the team's definite absentee for this match. Francesco Acerbi is expected to return following a calf injury sustained during his team's recent win over Roma.
Atletico Madrid: The visitors will be missing Thomas Lemar and Cesar Azpilicueta. Both Gabriel Paulista and Alvaro Morata reportedly were able to join the team on the flight to Milan, but it remains to be seen if either will be involved in the game.
Match facts: Inter vs Atletico Madrid
- This will be the first ever meeting between Inter and Atletico Madrid in the UCL
- The Nerazzurri and Los Rojiblancos have met only once before in European competition - during the 2010 UEFA Super Cup - which was won 2-0 by Atletico Madrid
- Inter's home record against Spanish sides is W11 D10 L4
- Atletico Madrid's away record against Italian sides is W5 D4 L6
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