Marko Arnautovic strike gives Inter Milan 1-0 first-leg advantage over Atletico Madrid in Champions League knockout tie after coming off the bench to seal crucial win

He needed three attempts but former West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic finally hit the target to give Inter Milan a narrow lead over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League last-16 first leg.

The Austrian came on at the break for the injured Marcus Thuram and headed Inter’s first second half chance wide. Then on the hour he spurned a glorious opening after playing a wall pass with Lautaro Martinez.

Axel Witsel got a touch on the Argentine’s return ball to the Austrian but it still ran to him. Just outside the six-yard box he only had Jan Oblak to beat but he leaned back and fired over.

When opportunity knocked for the third time he made no mistake. Reinildo Mandava lost possession just inside his own half. Martinez broke quickly and shot goalwards. Oblak saved well but the ball ran to Arnautovic and this time he scored for all that Samuel Lino desperately tried to scramble his shot away on the goal line.

It was no more than Inter deserved after dominating the game against Diego Simeone’s side. It still might not be enough against Atletico who are formidable at home and will presumable show more ambition in the second leg.

The first half was cagey on both sides with neither team wanting to concede first. But Inter soon started to show the greater attacking threat and they had three chances to open the scoring. First there was a cross that bounced up and appeared to hit Nahuel Molina on the top of his arm only for referee Istvan Kovacs to signal for play to continue.

Then came their best opening 10 minutes before the break when Rodrigo de Paul’s sloppy pass went straight to Thuram and he burst forward. He bounced off of Witsel’s challenge and squared to Martinez whose shot was blocked by Mario Hermoso.

Martinez then set-up Thuram but Jan Oblak made the save once more. This time the chance had come after Marcos Llorente had lost the ball. Atletico were lacking the precision necessary to last 90 minutes in Stadio Giuseppe Meazza without conceding. 

Inter had come into the game having lost only one of their last 13 in the Champions League, and that was last season’s final against Manchester City.

Both teams were forced into a change at the break with the injured Thuram unable to continue and replaced by Arnautovic for Inter. Atletico lost Jose Gimenez with Stefan Savic coming on and Simeone also brought on a striker when 10 minutes into the second half Saul went off and Alvaro Morata came on, with Llorente moving back into midfield.

Denzel Dumfries was next on for Inter and when he got in behind Atletico’s defence down their left it seemed inevitable that someone would turn in his cross. Somehow Savic was able to control and clear with a cool head from inside his own six-yard box. 

Martinez was next to go close but his close ranger glancing header was held by Oblak. Atletico were rocking back on their heels about to go down. And it was Arnautovic who put them there with the only goal of the game.