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Bodo/Glimt sink Inter Milan to continue Champions League fairy tale

Bodo/Glimt completed the greatest achievement in the Norwegian minnows’ history on Tuesday by winning 2-1 at Inter Milan and reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, 5-2 on aggregate.

Leading 3-1 from last week’s first leg in the Arctic Circle, goals in the second half from former AC Milan forward Jens Petter Hauge and Hakon Evjen stunned the San Siro and set up a tie with either Manchester City or Sporting of Portugal in the next round.

“For us it’s been unbelievable, we knew it would be very hard against Inter, who are a very strong team and played in the final last season,” said Hauge.

“I have faith in this project, and we’re showing it in the Champions League.”

More than 3,000 fans travelled to Milan to watch their team continue a remarkable debut season in Europe’s elite club competition, a huge number for a club from a city with a population of around 50,000.

There were 20,000 more people at the San Siro than live in Bodo on Tuesday night, and the vast majority left disappointed after Inter, who scored late through Alessandro Bastoni, failed to mount the comeback coach Cristian Chivu believed could happen.

Inter’s elimination was another blow for Italian football on the European stage, with all four Serie A clubs likely to be out of the Champions League come Thursday.

Juventus and Atalanta trail Galatasaray and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, with few giving either much of a chance of getting through ahead of their matches on Wednesday.

“The hardest thing to do today was to open the scoring, and we weren’t able to do it. You can only congratulate them, they beat us twice, so they deserved to go through,” said Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella.

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“Of course, we’re disappointed, we want to fight on every front, and we tried our best, but they were better than us.”

But it was a historic night for Bodo/Glimt, who have been crowned Norwegian champions in four of the last six seasons and will be a tough test for whoever they face next month.

Inter were, as expected, on the front foot from the off, and Pio Esposito headed over a great chance in the third minute from a Federico Dimarco cross.

Dimarco had a fizzing inswinger tipped over the bar by Nikita Haikin while Marcus Thuram watched on as his powerful long-range effort was deflected just over the bar.

But as the match wore on, a pattern emerged of Inter bluntly attacking down the flanks and putting in crosses that were comfortably dealt with by Bodo/Glimt’s defenders.

Hauge pounced in the 58th minute following a confused passage of play in which Inter defender Manuel Akanji, who had only moments before returned to the pitch following treatment for a cut eyebrow, gifted the ball to Ole Didrik Blomberg on the edge of the box.

Blomberg failed to score one-on-one with Yann Sommer, but Hauge was on hand to tuck in the rebound for his sixth goal in the Champions League to send the away fans delirious.

Akanji hit the post 10 minutes later, but Evjen made absolutely sure of Bodo/Glimt’s passage in the 72nd minute when he expertly lashed home Hauge’s searching pass into the box.

Bastoni forced the ball over the line shortly afterwards, but it mattered little for Inter, who are left with trying to secure the Serie A title, which looks likely due to a 10-point lead over local rivals Milan.

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Kasper Hogh stars as Bodo/Glimt down Inter Milan in Champions League

Bodo/Glimt continued their remarkable debut Champions League campaign with a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan in the knockout play-off round first leg on Wednesday, as Kasper Hogh scored once and created two other goals.

The Norwegians only snuck into the knock-out stage with shock victories over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in their final two league-phase matches.

Kjetil Knutsen’s men backed up those performances by adding last season’s runners-up Inter to their list of scalps.

Cristian Chivu’s Serie A leaders will still be confident of turning the tie around in the second leg at the San Siro next Tuesday, despite struggling on the artificial pitch of the Aspmyra Stadion in northern Norway.

“(Bodo/Glimt) are more accustomed to this pitch, that’s not an excuse,” Chivu said.

“The tie is wide open, there’s the return leg to come. We knew they are a team that can hurt you on the break, now we’ll try to advance to the next round at San Siro.”

To make matters worse for Inter, captain Lautaro Martinez hobbled off and was replaced by Marcus Thuram in the second half.

“I think he’s hurt and he will be out for a while,” Chivu said of Martinez.

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Bodo/Glimt, Europa League semi-finalists last term, have given themselves a chance of securing a major surprise, and a last-16 meeting with either Man City or Sporting Lisbon.

The hosts took a 20th-minute lead with a fine team goal, finished off with aplomb by Sondre Brunstad Fet after he latched onto Hogh’s clever flick inside the area.

But Bodo could not keep their advantage for long as Inter youngster Pio Esposito swivelled inside the box and fired home on the half-hour mark, with the goal surviving a lengthy VAR review for handball.

Inter almost scored in the first minute after the restart when Martinez’s instinctive close-range shot bobbled off the post.

The Norwegians moved back in front in the 61st minute as they caught Inter short at the back, and Jens Petter Hauge rifled the ball into the roof of the net after being teed up by Hogh.

Bodo’s third goal arrived just three minutes later, as Patrick Berg put Ole Didrik Blomberg through on goal with a cute dinked pass, and he squared it for Hogh to tap into an empty net.

Danish striker Hogh has now scored four goals in his last three Champions League appearances following a double against Man City and the winner to defeat Atletico.

Inter pushed to cut the deficit, but Carlos Augusto’s blocked shot from eight yards out was the closest they came despite some late pressure.

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AC Milan close gap on Inter with 3-0 win over Bologna

BOLOGNA: AC Milan closed the gap on city rivals Inter at the top of Serie A with a convincing 3-0 win at Bologna at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on Tuesday.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christopher Nkunku, from the penalty spot, scored in the first half, with Adrien Rabiot sealing the win in the second period.

The win moves second-placed Milan five points behind Inter and four points clear of third-placed Napoli.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side, coming in off the back of a 1-1 draw with Roma last time out, were in charge early on and went ahead after 20 minutes.

Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia did well to keep out Nkunku’s header but only found Rabiot, who teed up Loftus-Cheek.

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The former Chelsea player tapped in to claim his second goal of the season.

Loftus-Cheek was involved with the second as well, this time slipping the ball to Nkunku, another recruit from Chelsea, in the area.

Ravaglia didn’t get his timing right and upended the France international, who slotted home from the spot.

Three minutes into the second half, Milan wrapped up the points when Rabiot fired in the third.

Niclas Fullkrug twice went close in the dying minutes, but Ravaglia kept both attempts out.

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Inter Milan thrash Pisa to extend Serie A lead to six points

Inter Milan roared back from two goals down to hammer promoted Pisa 6-2 on Friday and move six points clear at the top of Serie A.

Fans at a soaking San Siro were left in shock by Stefano Moreo’s early brace, including a brilliant chip over Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer from near the halfway line.

But Piotr Zielinski’s penalty in the 39th minute sparked a comeback at the end of the first half, with strike pairing Lautaro Martinez and Pio Esposito both thumping home powerful headers to put Inter ahead at the break.

Federico Dimarco, Ange-Yoan Bonny and Henrikh Mkhitaryan rounded off the scoring in the final 10 minutes to secure Inter’s ninth win in a 10-match unbeaten run in the league.

“When I came on, the idea was to score one before half-time, and after that it would have been a long second half (for Pisa),” said Dimarco, who was introduced shortly before Zielinski scored.

“But we scored three, we reacted well. Sometimes, when you play a lot of games, you can approach a game the wrong way, but it was important to turn it around.”

Inter’s thumping victory piled pressure on title rivals AC Milan and Napoli, who both have tough away fixtures this weekend.

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Inter’s closest challengers, Milan, travel south on Sunday to take on fourth-placed Roma, who are yet to win a high-profile fixture but continue to improve under Gian Piero Gasperini.

Meanwhile, Napoli are nine points back in third, with the champions in Turin on Sunday after a draw at 10-man FC Copenhagen left them at risk of being eliminated from the Champions League.

Pisa are bottom of the division, having collected just four points from their last 10 matches.

This heavy defeat came after a dream start in the Tuscan side’s first match against Inter at the San Siro since October 1990.

The 5,000 away fans roared their delight when Moreo pounced on a poor Sommer pass to fire back over his head into an empty net in the 11th minute before the Italian forward doubled the away side’s lead with his head midway through the first half.

But Alberto Gilardino’s team crumbled once Zielinski struck, and Pisa ended up conceding the same number of goals to Inter that they did over a quarter of a century ago.

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Fluminense stun Inter Milan to reach Club World Cup quarters

Fluminense sent Inter Milan packing from the Club World Cup on Monday with a 2-0 win in Charlotte that took the Brazilian side through to the quarter-finals.

German Cano’s header from close range gave Fluminense an early lead in their last-16 tie, and they then withstood an onslaught from the Italian side in the second half before substitute Hercules sealed their victory late on.

The Rio de Janeiro outfit, who qualified for the Club World Cup thanks to their Copa Libertadores triumph in 2023, became the second Brazilian side to make the last eight after Palmeiras had already sealed their quarter-final spot.

Captained by 40-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva, ‘Flu’ will now go to Orlando for a tie on Friday against either Manchester City or Al-Hilal.

“We knew they were not going to be easy opponents. Less than a month ago, they were playing the Champions League final, but we played really well,” Silva told broadcaster DAZN.

It is the latest victory for a Brazilian team against prestigious European opposition at the tournament in the United States, after Botafogo defeated PSG and Flamengo got the better of Chelsea in the group stage.

“This is a very important victory for our fans, for all of Brazil, for my country, for South America,” said Jhon Arias, the lively Colombian winger who was named man of the match.

“We are not only representing Fluminense but a whole continent, and we are really pleased with what we are doing in this World Cup.”

Inter Milan came to the US off the back of their 5-0 defeat by PSG in the UEFA Champions League final at the end of May and with a new coach in Cristian Chivu.

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They did not fully convince during the group stage despite topping their section, and they found themselves trailing inside three minutes before only just over 20,000 fans at the Bank of America Stadium on another hot afternoon.

A cross from the Fluminense right by Arias took a deflection off Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni, and the ball then bounced awkwardly before veteran Argentine striker Cano arrived to head in through the legs of goalkeeper Yann Sommer from close range.

Ignacio thought he had made it 2-0 before the interval, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.

Sommer then tipped a fine curling strike by Arias around the post just after the hour mark, before Inter began to turn up the pressure in an attempt to avoid exiting the competition.

Stefan de Vrij prodded wide from close range after captain Lautaro Martinez had headed down a cross, and the latter then saw a fine shot on the turn from the edge of the box come back off an upright.

Martinez had also been denied by Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio moments earlier, and confirmation that it would not be Inter’s day arrived in stoppage time.

As a substitute, Hercules pounced on a falling ball and drove into the box before firing low into the corner.

Federico Dimarco then hit the woodwork at the other end as Fluminense held out for the victory to keep South American hopes of glory at the tournament firmly alive.

“We never gave in. We kept going until the end, but it was not our day,” Chivu told DAZN.

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Club World Cup: Sergio Ramos strikes as Monterrey hold Inter Milan for stalemate

The 39-year-old Spanish great Sergio Ramos scored as Monterrey held Inter Milan 1-1 in a hard-fought FIFA Club World Cup Group E opener in Pasadena on Tuesday.

Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez scored a well-worked equaliser to cancel out Ramos’s opener for the Mexican side in front of 40,311 fans at the Rose Bowl.

Inter, playing their first game since being thrashed 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League final, were left ruing their failure to turn their dominance of possession and territory into goals.

But the draw was a boost for Ramos and Monterrey, who face Argentina’s River Plate in their next game in the Club World Cup on Saturday.

“When you don’t get all three points, you’re never entirely happy,” Ramos, the former Spain and Real Madrid defender, said.

“But one point is better than no point.

“They were a tough opponent and have just played in the final of the Champions League. We were a little bit nervous, but in the second half we stayed organised and kept the ball better.

“Now we need to think about the next game.”

Inter coach Cristian Chivu said his team had struggled to break down a Monterrey team that sat deep for long periods.

“We played well in the first half even though we went behind,” Chivu said. “We could have attacked better in the second half. It’s not easy to play against a very low block.”

Chivu, in his first match in charge after the departure of Simone Inzaghi, denied the Champions League finalists had underestimated the Mexicans.

“We respect every team we play, and we knew what kind of team they were; we tried to do our best,” he said.

“Sometimes you get the best out of it, sometimes you don’t. We created a lot of chances. Football’s not won on paper.”

The Italians were in complete control almost from the kick-off, Benjamin Pavard the first to threaten with an eighth-minute shot that flew over the bar.

Matteo Darmian should have done better in the 22nd minute, but shot over after clever work down the left from Nicolo Barella.

Yet despite the early onslaught, Inter were rocked in the 25th minute when Monterrey scored from one of their few forays into the Italians’ half.

Midfielder Oliver Torres swung a corner in from the right, and Ramos — who had lost Francesco Acerbi on the edge of the six-yard box — steered his header into the bottom corner.

Inter were soon back on the offensive and only a point-blank save by Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada from Sebastiano Esposito prevented an equaliser.

Martinez also went close after 36 minutes, and Inter had a strong penalty appeal when Pavard’s header struck Ramos on the arm inside the area.

VAR found in favor of Ramos and Monterrey escaped.

Three minutes later, Inter drew level with a wonderfully worked free-kick routine.

Albanian international Kristjan Asllani shaped to shoot from 25 yards out but instead flighted a delicate chip behind the Monterrey defence.

Brazilian international Carlos Augusto timed his run to perfection and squared into the path of Martinez, who tapped in for 1-1.

Monterrey almost regained the lead against the run of play on 64 minutes, Sergio Canales unleashing a low shot that cannoned off the post.

Inter had a Martinez goal ruled out for offside moments later as the Italians continued to threaten.

But it was Monterrey who came closest to grabbing a winner in stoppage time when Colombian midfielder Nelson Deossa got behind the Inter defence but could only shoot into the side netting.

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PSG, Inter Milan set for Champions League final showdown

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Milan will lock horns in Saturday’s Champions League final, with the French side hoping to win European club football’s biggest prize for the first time and the Italians eyeing their fourth title.

The match, which kicks off at Bayern Munich’s 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena at 9:00pm (1900 GMT), pits an experienced Inter against a PSG team appearing in their second final since the transformative Qatari takeover of the club in 2011.

Whoever wins will succeed Real Madrid as champions, and excitement is notably at fever pitch back in Paris, where around 40,000 people will watch on giant screens at PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, and a huge police presence is planned around the city.

The climax to the European season has thrown up a mouthwatering clash of opposing styles and ideas of how to build a team, a contest between one of the continent’s old guard and one of the state-owned modern superclubs.

Despite enormous spending, PSG have never won the Champions League before, coming closest when they got to the final in 2020.

That was during the pandemic, when they lost to Bayern behind closed doors in Lisbon, despite the presence of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar up front.

The addition of Lionel Messi a year later did not help them in their quest to claim the trophy, and their brilliant run to Munich came in the season after Mbappe followed the South American superstar duo out of the exit door.

“There have been great times, difficult times, but we have a glorious opportunity to do something remarkable and historic for this club,” captain Marquinhos said on Friday.

Under Spanish coach Luis Enrique, an exciting young Paris side has taken Europe by storm in recent months, with a comeback win in January against 2023 champions Manchester City proving the catalyst.

Since then, PSG have knocked out three more Premier League sides — Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal — en route to the final, and have completed a French league and cup double.

Ousmane Dembele has been their star player with 33 goals, ably assisted by fellow forwards Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Others like Achraf Hakimi, formerly of Inter, and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma have also been superb.

“My biggest motivation is to make history for Paris and give the city and club something to celebrate,” said Luis Enrique, who is looking to win his second Champions League title, 10 years after leading Barcelona to glory.

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Victory for PSG would make them just the second French winners of the Champions League — Marseille’s 1993 triumph also came in Munich, at the old Olympic Stadium, and against Inter’s city rivals, AC Milan.

Inter were the last Italian winners when Jose Mourinho’s side defeated Bayern in Madrid in 2010. They also won it twice in successive years in the 1960s.

Coach Simone Inzaghi was already in charge when the Nerazzurri got to the final two years ago and lost narrowly to City.

As many as eight of the team that started that night in Istanbul could do so again here, and an experienced line-up should feature three players aged 36 or over.

Inzaghi’s side beat Bayern in the quarter-finals before getting the better of Barcelona in an epic tie in the last four.

Captained by star Argentinian forward Lautaro Martinez, they will set up in a 3-5-2 formation that contrasts sharply with the 4-3-3 of PSG.

“Last time against Manchester City we produced a top-class performance but didn’t win, so this time we hope to be a bit more switched on,” said midfielder Nicolo Barella, recalling the 2023 final.

“These matches come down to fine margins, but we will try to bring home the trophy, that is the dream for all of us.

“After a season like this one, I think we deserve to win this final,” added Barella, whose side missed out to Napoli for the Serie A title on the last day of the campaign.

It is, remarkably, the first ever competitive encounter between the teams.

While fans flooded into the German city on Friday, back in Paris fanzones have been set up at three locations beyond PSG’s stadium.

Police will deploy more than 5,000 officers in the city and its suburbs during the final after violence erupted following PSG’s last-four victory against Arsenal.

In Milan, meanwhile, tens of thousands will also watch the game at Inter’s San Siro stadium.

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Inter Milan beat Barcelona in extra-time thriller to reach Champions League final

Inter Milan are one victory away from Champions League redemption after Tuesday’s chaotic, mesmerising win over Barcelona, which propelled the Italians into their second final in three seasons.

Simone Inzaghi’s team had been in a fragile state in recent weeks after their treble bid went up in smoke, surrendering top spot in Serie A to Napoli and being dumped out of the Italian Cup by local rivals AC Milan.

But beating star-studded Barca, and the incredible manner in which they did it, has completely changed the atmosphere at Inter, who are now bullish about their chances of being crowned kings of Europe for the fourth time.

Inter will take on either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in Munich, knowing their task will be nowhere near as difficult as it was two years ago, when they were narrowly beaten by possibly the best Manchester City team of the Pep Guardiola era.

That single-goal defeat to City in Istanbul was a bitter one for Inter, who felt they were the better team on the night, bridging a monstrous financial gap with the mega-rich Premier League club with tactical nous and desire.

“We’ve been thinking about this since the day after we lost the last final,” said captain Lautaro Martinez, almost sobbing with joy after the final whistle.

“Now we’ve got to rest and finish the season well, knowing we have another opportunity to make history.”

Inter have always had the reputation of being an anarchic, crazy club, as capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory as they are winning major titles.

Their 7-6 triumph over Barca, which flipped one way and the next over the course of two barely believable legs, fully lived up to their nickname of “Pazza (mad) Inter”.

Martinez had been a doubt right until the eve of the match but recovered from a hamstring injury in time to both score and win a penalty which gave Inter their 2-0 half-time lead.

And Francesco Acerbi would ordinarily get a nosebleed being as far forward as he was to send the tie into extra-time with his first-ever Champions League goal, at 37 years old, just as it looked like Raphinha had sealed a stunning comeback win for Barca.

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The Catalan giants could barely believe what they were seeing when super-sub Davide Frattesi guided home his extra-time winner, unused to being the team on the end of landmark defeats and frustrated at how their at times untouchable play failed to bear its expected fruit.

If anything, Tuesday’s win felt like a mark of destiny for a grand old team who have had to battle desperate financial difficulties and an enforced change of ownership just as Inzaghi has made Inter one of Europe’s pre-eminent sides.

“We were up against a great team, but we’ve been raising our game for the last four or five years, every single year, and we’re so proud of that,” said Martinez.

Inzaghi risked ending the season with nothing but criticism after trying to fight on three fronts with a budget that is dwarfed by those of Europe’s other major clubs.

Inter, like the rest of cash-strapped Serie A, can no longer attract the world’s top stars, so Inzaghi has had to create a team unit, a spirit that shines through on the big occasion.

Victory in Munich would be just reward for a coach who joined a club in turmoil in 2021 following the departure of both Antonio Conte and a clutch of star players, and he was close to the sack not long before Inter reached the Champions League final two years later.

Inzaghi’s ability was questioned after Inter lost a dramatic Serie A title battle with Milan in his first season and then finished 18 points behind 2023 champions Napoli.

But he has since risen to become one of football’s elite coaches, and now he and Inter have the chance of a lifetime to win club football’s biggest prize.

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Vinicius Jr condemns racist chants before Atletico Madrid Champions League game

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior on Thursday condemned racist chants aimed at him by Atletico Madrid fans before the midweek Champions League match against Inter Milan.

“I hope you have already thought about their punishment,” the Brazilian said on X, mentioning the official accounts of the Champions League and European football’s governing body UEFA.

In his message, the 23-year-old relays a video where Atletico supporters can be heard chanting racist abuse in front of the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid.

“It’s a sad reality that happens even during matches where I am not present,” Vinicius added in the same message.

Espero que vocês já tenham pensado na punição deles. @ChampionsLeague 👍🏿 @UEFA 👍🏿 é uma triste realidade que passa até nos jogos que eu não estou presente! https://t.co/IDHAkG9H6S

— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) March 14, 2024

The Brazilian international has faced racial abuse since he joined Real in 2018.

The Spanish football league told AFP that it was going to lodge a complaint for these “lamentable racist chants”, even if the incidents occurred during a European match, rather than at the league, and outside the stadium.

“La Liga is very committed to making football a hate-free space and will continue to relentlessly pursue any attitude of racism, homophobia, violence, hatred… whatever the competition,” it said.

Atletico Madrid beat Inter Milan on penalties to reach the Champions League quarter-finals after Memphis Depay’s late strike secured a 2-2 aggregate draw on Wednesday.

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Atletico Madrid edge past Inter Milan to reach Champions League quarters

Atletico Madrid bounced back from two goals down on aggregate against Inter Milan to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shoot-out triumph on Wednesday.

Trailing by a single goal after last month’s first leg, Atletico looked dead and buried when Federico Dimarco pushed home Inter’s opener at the Estadio Metropolitano.

But Antoine Griezmann immediately pulled the hosts level on the night and three minutes before the end of the regulation 90 minutes substitute Memphis Depay took the tie to extra time at 2-2 with a fine low finish.

That set up the decisive shoot-out which ended with Inter Milan missing three of their five penalties, star striker Lautaro Martinez handing passage to the last eight to Atletico when he booted his spot-kick way off target.

The two teams could barely have come into Wednesday’s Champions League match in more contrasting form as Inter had won 13 matches on the bounce since the start of 2024 while Atletico had won only one of their last five.

However, it was an even and exciting contest in the Spanish capital in which Atletico pushed hard for the win and both sides created a clutch of opportunities.

Home advantage turned out to be crucial for Atletico who have won 19 of their 21 fixtures at the Metropolitano in all competitions.

Atletico are also unbeaten in 17 knockout matches on home turf in the Champions League and in front of a passionate crowd they fought back from an impossible-looking position against runaway Serie A leaders Inter.

Depay smashed a powerful effort off the woodwork moments before his strike took the two teams to an additional 30 minutes while Rodrigo Riquelme wasted a glorious chance to snatch the tie for Atletico without the need for extra time.

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Inter meanwhile were left ruing two great chances on the break as Atletico pushed for their second, both Marcus Thuram and Nicolo Barella finishing poorly with chances to seal the tie.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter now turn their attentions back to winning their 20th Serie A title while Atletico await Friday’s draw for the last eight in Nyon.

Inter, who wasted a series of opportunities to earn a bigger first-leg advantage, are 16 points clear of AC Milan with 10 league matches remaining.

It was a fast-paced encounter from the off as Atletico pushed immediately to level the tie with aggressive pressing.

Samuel Lino burst down the left flank and tested Yann Sommer in the fifth minute before his counterpart Denzel Dumfries forced a double save from Oblak.

Inter were dangerous on the break and it was with a quick-fire exchange of passes that the away side took the lead, Dimarco confidently netting the first time from Barella’s neat cut-back.

However, Inter’s celebrations were almost instantly cut short when Griezmann pounced after Koke’s through ball deflected off two Inter defenders, taking his club-record goal tally to 176.

Griezmann forced a decent stop from Sommer shortly after the break as Atletico again tried to pen Inter into their own area.

Thuram blasted over after being perfectly put through by Martinez, leaving Inzaghi raging on the sidelines, before Barella shot weakly at Oblak in a similarly good position.

Depay then struck and all the momentum that had been building went definitively in Atletico’s direction, eventually leading to a joyous shoot-out win.

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