Jan Oblak’s shootout heroics propel Atlético past Inter and into last eight

“Ad augusta per angusta,” the banner the stretched across the south stand of the Metropolitano said. Through difficulty to honour, it means, and that was right. It had been long, and it had been wild, and it had torn at all their nerves, but in the end, it had been glorious, an occasion for the ages. For the first time in 2024 Internazionale did not win a football match and it cost them: at 23.43pm local time, Lautaro Martínez of all people sent the final penalty of a shootout high into the stand and this place exploded once more.

Last year’s Champions League finalists are out; Atlético Madrid are through, Memphis Depay dragging them into extra time with a late goal and an almost superhuman display and then Jan Oblak flying to save two penalties in the shootout, elation just about eclipsing the exhaustion here. A 1-0 first-leg defeat had been overturned. So had a first goal conceded in the second. Atlético had done it.

From the start, the onus was on Atlético to attack – which, forget the cliches, they do well. This is a different Diego Simeone side, at least at home where they had been beaten just once in 14 months: their problems lie at the other end, and particularly on the road. Their fear coming into this was not so much that they would be incapable of scoring – although they knew that Inter had the best defensive record in Europe and had seen that for themselves at San Siro – but that mistakes in their own area might cost them.

Atlético began on the front foot, even the ball boys racing to get the game going, as if these were the final minutes not the opening ones. Marcos Llorente leapt and missed a cross in the first minute and soon Stefan Savic headed goalwards. Yann Sommer’s save was simple but Atlético had an attempt on target inside three minutes when they had not managed any at all in the 90-plus minutes of the first leg. Two minutes later they might have had the lead. Dashing up the left, Samuel Lino bounced off Nicolò Barella, got away from Stefan de Vrij and hit a hard low shot towards the far post. This time, Sommer’s save was for real.

For all that Atlético pressed though, it was true that most of their approaches ended with largely hopeful crosses. Which isn’t to say none came off – Álvaro Morata drew another save from Sommer when he reached Mario Hermoso’s ball – but there were fewer clear chances than they would have liked. And the feeling grew that Inter, adept at springing swiftly and incisively, Martínez a pivot off whom they could play, did not mind this pattern.

An example came early when Morata lost the ball, Marcus Thuram kept the move alive and, first time, Hakan Calhanoglu released Denzel Dumfries, who forced Oblak into a double save. Oblak then had to reach a deflected Martínez shot and soon after Axel Witsel reacted fast to prevent Inter cutting them open again, Dimarco’s final ball looking for Thuram. Then Inter sliced the hosts open decisively, Dimarco finishing a slick move built by Martínez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alessandro Bastoni and finally Barella. The plan appeared to have worked to perfection, Inter seemingly in control now.

High in the away end, Italians lit up their phones. They were still being waved when Atlético equalised, a slightly comic goal changing the feeling here. A poor clearance reached Koke, who returned the ball to the box, where Benjamin Pavard made a horrible mess of it, swiping, missing and falling, leaving Griezmann alone to score. Now it was Atlético’s fans who held up their phones, enjoying returning the ritual.

Back, then, to where it began. Only it wasn’t quite the same: the Metropolitano genuinely believed now and the momentum built, Pavard soon having to block Griezmann. For the first time, Inter looked a little rattled.

The Frenchman had another opportunity early in the second half. Supplied by Llorente, unmarked near the penalty spot and with time, he drew an excellent save from Sommer but should not have allowed the keeper to make any save at all. Llorente then escaped again to pull the ball back; this time Morata turned a shot over the crossbar when he could have let it go to Griezmann behind him. Inter tried to reduce the tension through possession wherever possible, and much as they still had a lead, they knew they were in a game.

Inter should have ended it, Martínez slipping in Thuram only to watch him smash the shot over. Martínez did it again with 10 minutes to go, waiting for just the right moment to put Barella through all alone. Heavy legged, though, he shot straight at Oblak, setting up wild, frantic final minutes, in which Atlético threw everything at their opponents.

Memphis especially: on as a substitute, what an impact he had. He it was who changed everything, at the third attempt. Spinning a couple of yards from goal, he could not quite provide the finish when Ángel Correa created the first. Then on 85 minutes, he thudded a shot off the inside of the post. And finally with three minutes to go he received inside the area, turned and struck a superb finish into the net, this place exploding. Simeone pulled up injured as he raced up the touchline to join his celebrating players. If that hurt, worse followed, the Atlético coach collapsing face down on the turf when Griezmann perfectly set up Rodrigo Riquelme to win it with 20 seconds left. This was it, the moment, but the shot flew over.

Simeone had been floored but, like the footballers, he got up again. There would be 30 more minutes of this, and it was not slowing down, even as muscles and lungs screamed. Extra time began with Yann Bisseck’s superb cross giving Thuram the opportunity but he headed over. Then Riquelme delivered for Memphis, whose shot was somehow saved by Sommer.

Then, back at the other end, Martínez headed fractionally wide. The nerves were frayed, the clearances hacked, and noise shook the place. The players were in pieces but still they ran; this was wild and open, desperation at both ends, a game – and what a game it was – that went back and forth, everyone on a knife-edge. Until eventually it went to the spot, the cruellest place in football.