Atlético Madrid fought back from 2-0 down on aggregate, Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay scoring before Jan Oblak’s saves saw off Internazionale
” – through difficulty to honour – the banner that stretched across the south stand of the Metropolitano had said, and it was right. Oh, how, it was right; more even than they had imagined. They would struggle and they would suffer, a wild night lived on the edge, one in which even the manager got injured, but in the end there was glory for
Last year’s finalists are out; Atlético are through, the substitute Memphis Depay dragging them into extra time with a late goal and an almost superhuman display, then absolutely belting his spot-kick into the net before Jan Oblak took flight to save twice and sent them through. Seeking a way back after San Siro, it took just three minutes for Atlético to fire an effort on target, through Stefan Savic – already more than they had managed in the whole of the first leg – and they might have had an early lead when Samuel Lino bounced off Nicolò Barella, got away from Stefan de Vrij and hit a hard low shot that Sommer to saved.
The Frenchman should have added to that when he was set up by Marcos Llorente early in the second half, but shot at Sommer. When Llorente again escaped a moment later, Álvaro Morata scuffed over when he would have been better letting the ball go. At the other end, Inter should have ended it, Martínez slipping in first Marcus Thuram and then Barella only for them to waste golden opportunities, setting up a frantic, open finale in which Atlético threw everything at Inter.