Marko Arnautovic scored the only goal to give Inter Milan a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 clash with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Austria striker Arnautovic replaced Marcus Thuram at half-time and scored Inter’s winner with 11 minutes remaining at the San Siro after Jan Oblak failed to stop Lautaro Martínez’s shot. The 34-year-old turned the jeers into deafening excitement with his goal, which came after a number of missed chances, leaving home fans wondering whether Inter would get the win they deserved.

His worst miss came just after the hour mark when he pounced over a sitter, a dreadful finish that was preceded and followed by failed attempts to hold on to promising balls.

“It’s definitely one of the most important goals of my career,” Arnautovic told Sky Sports.

“I’ve missed a lot of chances in recent weeks. But the fans and the players showed they were behind me… That gave me the energy I needed to score goals.”

Arnautovic has endured a difficult time since returning to Inter on loan from Bologna last summer and his misses have further frustrated supporters.

However, thanks to him Simone Inzaghi’s side, who are nine points clear at the top of Serie A, take a slight lead ahead of Madrid where they face Atletico in the decisive second leg on March 13.

Atlético have been the more attacking proposition this season, but have retreated into a defensive mode more representative of Diego Simeone’s long reign in Spain.

They couldn’t keep Inter out and now need to overturn Tuesday’s result to reach the quarter-finals.

“We have to keep our heads up, there’s one game left and we’ll do everything we can to succeed,” Oblak told Movistar.

“They had two or three moments when we weren’t perfect and in a game like this you have to be perfect all the time.”

– Arnautovic delivered –

The atmosphere in the first half between the two determined teams gave the fans no chance to shout, with only a few pot shots getting the supporters out of their seats until the 36th minute, when Martínez headed home Nicolo Barella’s cross with a powerful header. Saved by Oblak.

And moments later Martínez left Inter fans holding their heads after uncharacteristically wasting a golden opportunity to open the scoring.

Martínez was given a clear chance after Marcus Thuram intercepted Rodrigo de Paul’s pass and headed Oblak’s goal, but the Argentinian forward palmed out José María Jiménez’s effort.

Thuram then had a powerful effort of his own easily saved by Oblak as Inter ended the opening half in the lead.

However, the France forward injured his right thigh while taking that shot and was replaced at half-time by match-winner Arnautovic, who failed to properly direct Federico Dimarco’s teasing cross on target three minutes after the break. Could.

Samuel Leno, who had a good effort in the first half, wasted the best chance of the night for Atlético in the 56th minute when he headed home from a tight angle after exchanging passes with Rodrigo De Paul. Completed the finish.

And Arnautovic, who has had a tough time since his return, did himself no favors when he fired a shot over the bar when it looked easy to score.

But teammates erupted in joy when he forced home the winner, reward for a performance that highlighted why Simeone said on Monday that Inter were among the five best teams in Europe. Was one of.

However the tight nature of the tie became clear when substitute Alvaro Morata headed wide from a great chance to take Atlético Madrid back level.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)