Inter shows more hunger than Atlético in a duel of strategists

In one of the countless and endless conversations about football between Simeone and Inzaghi when they were players at Lazio, both surely dreamed of a similar situation. Coaches of two of the best teams in Europe. Two teams with a similar, intense and aggressive game. “Hungry for football,” said the Argentine they had. What better than to satisfy it with a Champions League round of 16 duel as rivals. But Inter showed greater hunger. He searched for the treasure until he found it. They defeated the fear that dominated the entire game. [Narrative and statistics (1-0)]

From the beginning, that 3-5-2 of the Italians shows a clear offensive vocation that, a priori, the red and white 5-3-2 does not have. However, they are two teams that this season are having a lot of presence in attack, especially in their national competitions.. The Italians supported the Lautaro-Thuram duo and the Spanish supported Griezmann and Morata.

The man from Madrid has recovered in record time from his sprained knee to be in this Champions League duel, but his place at the top, like against Las Palmas, was occupied by Llorente. More intensity, the key to the duel according to Simeone. And the truth is that the first quarter of an hour required paper bags to breathe.. Anxiety in both sets, with high pressures that not even a citizen with a variable mortgage in 2008.

Fear of error

Molina, in fact, almost forced Simeone to take a Lexatin by slightly moving his arm in the red and white area after intercepting a rebound from Witsel. Inter asked for a hand and, this year and with these regulations, one never knows which side of the coin it will fall on.

In the first half hour, zero shots on goal between both teams. It was obvious that it was a 180-minute game, as Cholo likes to say, and both wanted to make it to the 90th second alive.. Perhaps Inter, with the mobility of their centre-backs breaking the lines, showed a little more hunger than Atlético. The rojiblancos were missing an anchor up top, one that would anchor the interista defense and not force the rojiblancos to travel 70 meters when they recovered the ball.

The worst thing about fear of error is that it always comes. What you want is for it not to fall on your side. It was committed by De Paul, who crashed a simple pass into Thuram. The Frenchman drove to the edge of the area, handed over to Lautaro, and one touch too many before the Argentine's shot ruined the first goal for Inter.. Simeone breathed and De Paul breathed.

Injuries

After the break Giménez came on for Savic and Thuram came on for Arnautovic and the Austrian was about to make the first of the game in an attack with five touches from Inter, each pass better than the last. It was not a coincidence, the Italians increased their intensity to seek an advantage for the return leg.. And Lino almost found her behind a large wall with De Paul and Llorente, two minutes later. Inter left more spaces behind them and, now, Atlético's quick men could do damage.

Inter responded to Atlético's blows with a first-touch play that Arnautovic missed after a beautiful drop shot by Lautaro. It was more difficult to miss it than to get it. The Italians continued to press after both teams gained air by replacing the wingers. It was a chess duel, strategy over filigree.

And in these duels, whoever has the best queen wins and the red and white had to leave the field with a blow to the foot.. So the one from Inter appeared: Lautaro. First he forgave a free header after a great pass from Dumfries. But then his shot that Oblak rejected ended up at the feet of Arnautovic who did not forgive. The third time was the charm. The Austrian was rewarded for his persistence. Lino was able to save on the line, but he didn't get it right.

Neither did Morata in the opposing goal. A draw, or a draw, would have been gold for Atlético. But in the last minutes Inter was able to kill the counterattack. Cholo asked for calm, better to return wounded than not dead. And Inter, last year's Champions League finalist, are a bad partner to reach the Metropolitano with a two-goal deficit. This is the Champions League, dad.