Atletico Madrid vs Inter Milan preview, details, H2H, team news and predictions

Atletico Madrid host Italian League leaders, Inter Milan in the second leg Champions League round of 16 clash at Wanda Metropolitano.

Inter currently hold a slender one-goal advantage after winning the first leg 1:0 at the San Siro courtesy of a second-half Marco Arnautovic strike. Atletico on the other hand will hope to either tie the game level or even go beyond that to turn the game around.

But that would be a daunting task for Atletico who have only won two of their last nine matches across all competitions against an Inter team that looks unbreakable, winning all 13 matches in all competitions since the turn of the year.

Moreso, considering Diego Simeone’s troops are coming into this game at the back of their fifth defeat since February as Los Colchoneros fell to a disappointing 2:0 loss to relegation-threatened Cadiz who sit at 18th place in the Laliga standings.

Atletico were almost completely dominated by Cadiz who took a deserved lead at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla through a well-placed Juanmi’s header in the 24th minute before doubling the tally in the 64th minute with a close-range finish.

The Colchoneros still sit in fourth place in the Laliga standings and would need a complete opposing performance from the usual to get anything from a rampant Inter side.

For the visitors, Inter established a massive 18-point lead at the top of Serie after holding on to secure a 1:0 victory away to a dominant Bologna side at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

The Nerazzuri set the tone of the game when Inter’s midfielder, Nicolò Barella was through on goal only for his effort to be expertly saved by Bologna’s goalkeeper, Lukasz Skorupski.

The 19-time Serie A champions took the lead in the 37th minute of the game when Alessandro Bastoni’s pin-point cross was met by Yann Bisseck to head home the only goal of the game.

Thiago Motta’s side exerted their presence in the game in the second half with an array of attacking displays, denying Infer another shot on goal.

It was a case of goalkeepers keeping their teams in the game when Yann Sommer saved low from a brilliant Joshua Zirkzee strike from the edge of the penalty area.

I Rossoblù continued to pile the pressure but Inter’s defence stood resolute to thwart their chances and ultimately secure their 13th consecutive victory in 13 matches this year.

Simone Inzaghi’s side now take the trip to Spain to face Atletico and are the much better side heading into this game. However, Simone’s side would take inspiration from Inter’s poor record in Spain where they have failed to win their last ten away matches against Spanish opponents in UEFA elite competitions.

MATCH DETAILS

Location: Madrid, Spain

Stadium: Wanda Metropolitano

Date: Wednesday, 13 March 2024

Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT,

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)

Assistant referees: Tomas Litkiewicz and Adam Kupsik.

VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)

Assistant VAR: Bartosz Frankowski

Tickets: Fans can purchase Champions League tickets for the game through the club websites or via online resellers.

MATCH STATS AND HEAD-TO-HEAD

•Inter have recorded nine clean sheets in their last 11 games in all competitions

•Inzaghi’s side are on a 13-match winning streak across all competitions

•Atletico have failed to score in five of their last eight games in all competitions

•The Nerazzuri have won their last four consecutive away matches

•The first-leg clash at the San Siro was the second-ever competitive encounter between the two teams since the 2010 UEFA Super Cup final where Atletico recorded a 2:0 victory

•Los Colchoneros have won seven of their last nine games against Italian opponents at home. The last time they failed to win was the 2:2 draw against Juventus in 2019 and the 1:0 loss to AC Milan in 2021.

•The Nerazzuri have an abysmal record against Spanish opposition, failing to win any of their last matches in Spain(seven losses and three draws) with their last victory coming in 2004 in the 5:1 win over Valencia.

•Simeone’s side have failed to score in their last three UEFA Champions League knockout matches, and have only scored three goals in their last eight matches.

•No coach has a record of fewer losses at home in the Champions League than Simeone who has lost only five of his last 49 home games in charge.

TEAM NEWS

The host will be without the services of Cesar Azpilicueta and Vitolo who are sidelined with knee injuries while Thomas Lemar remains out with an achilles injury.

Atletico would be hopeful for the full-match fitness of Antoine Griezmann and Jose Gimenez who made their respective returns to the squad following ankle and thigh injuries that kept them out for a couple of games.

However, Stefan Savic and winter arrival, Gabriel Paulista could be set to start at centre-back if Gimenez is deemed not fit to start the match against Inter.

For the visitors, Arnautovic was substituted in the victory against Bologna with a hamstring injury and won’t be available for the trip to Spain.

Left-back, Carlos Augusto injured his calf in the game against Bologna and is set to face a spell on the sidelines.

Juan Cuadrado and Stefano Sensi remain long-term absentees with achilles and ankle injuries respectively

PREDICTED STARTING LINEUPS

Atletico Madrid predicted starting lineup:

Oblak; Molina, Savic, Witsel, Hermoso, Lino; Saul, De Paul, Koke; Depay, Morata

Inter Milan predicted starting lineup:

Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

PREDICTION

A Champions League blockbuster affair await football faithfuls at the Wanda Metropolitano which has been a fortress for most parts of the season, especially in big games such as these.

Spain has not been the most convenient place for Italian opponents but Inter could prove to be an exception as they currently hold a slim advantage having defeated Atletico 1:0 in the first leg.

The Nerazzuri are also the better team in all compartments heading into this feature with their defence and attack completely heads and shoulders above that of Atletico.

But the thrill about the Champions League is the ability for opponents to rewrite history, upset the odds, pose a threat, stage surmounting victories and Wednesday night would not be an exception.