Atletico Madrid Halt Inter’s Winning Run with Dramatic Victory

Key Takeaways:

• Atletico Madrid secured a 2:1 win over Inter in the fifth round of the Champions League main phase
• Jose Gimenez scored the winning goal in stoppage time, with Julian Alvarez and Piotr Zielinski also on the scoresheet
• The result ended Inter’s streak of four consecutive victories in this season’s Champions League

Match Analysis

Atletico Madrid delivered another blow to Inter’s UEFA Champions League ambitions by clinching a dramatic 2:1 victory at home in the fifth round of the tournament’s main stage. Julian Alvarez struck first in the 9th minute and Jose Gimenez sealed the result with a header in stoppage time (90+3’), after Piotr Zielinski had drawn the visitors level in the 54th minute. Atletico thus repeated their success over the Nerazzurri from the round of 16 in March last year, once again denying Inter at a crucial juncture.

Inter lose it late vs Atletico Madrid ending their perfect UCL run up until this point pic.twitter.com/JrgzIvXYpg

— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) November 26, 2025

This result puts an end to Inter’s perfect run in the Champions League this season, as they had previously collected four consecutive wins ahead of this encounter.

Team Selections and Tactical Changes

Diego Simeone altered his Atletico Madrid side in four positions following their 1:0 La Liga win over Getafe. David Hancko replaced Clement Lenglet in the defensive line, while in midfield, the absence of Koke, the injured Marcos Llorente, and Nicolas Gonzalez led to starts for Johnny Cardoso, Giuliano Simeone, and Conor Gallagher. Up front, the attack was spearheaded by Julian Alvarez alongside Alex Baena.

For Inter, Cristian Chivu made three changes after the slender 0:1 Derby defeat to Milan. Jan Bisseck entered central defence in place of Francesco Acerbi, Piotr Zielinski started in midfield ahead of Petar Sucic, and attacking duties fell to Ange-Yoan Bonny, who replaced Marcus Thuram in support of captain Lautaro Martinez.

Key Moments and Match Progression

The opening stages saw Federico Dimarco threaten twice for Inter, first sending a free kick wide and then missing from a narrow angle. Inter continued to press, with further efforts from Bisseck (blocked) and Lautaro Martinez (off target), before Lautaro forced a save from Juan Musso in the 8th minute. Atletico then responded immediately: Julian Alvarez scored from close range after VAR intervention confirmed the goal, despite an initial decision by François Letexier to rule it out for handball by Baena.

Hakan Calhanoglu’s 19th-minute effort was kept out by Musso, and Alvarez’s attempt from distance was saved by Yann Sommer six minutes later. Dimarco came closest for Inter before the interval but failed to convert his opportunity.

After the break, Jose Gimenez could not capitalise on a header opportunity from a corner, before Dimarco and Nicolo Barella saw shots go wide. In the 54th minute, Zielinski combined well with Bonny and found the bottom corner to level for Inter. Atletico responded with a flurry of attempts from Giuliano Simeone and Baena but struggled to find the target. Substitute Alexander Sørloth and Antoine Griezmann both threatened, with the latter finally forcing a save from Sommer in the 77th minute.

The closing moments were frantic, with missed chances from Francesco Pio Esposito, Marc Pubill, Marcus Thuram, and Griezmann. Ultimately, Jose Gimenez rose above the Inter defence in stoppage time to head home from a corner, sealing a crucial win for the hosts.

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