In the Zone: Inter 1-0 Atlético performance analysis

Inter made it nine straight wins in all competitions with their 1-0 victory over Atlético de Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday.

In this article brought to you by FedEx, UEFA match observer Aitor Karanka, working together with UEFA's analysis unit, reflects on the key tactical features from the first leg at the San Siro – including how Inter succeeded in creating space against a well-drilled visiting defence.

Team formations

Features

Inter and Atlético's defensive organisation

A principal feature of the goalless first half was the defensive organisation and industry of both sides. Elite football demands hard graft along with technical and tactical excellence, and there was plenty of the former on display. As Karanka said: "It was the first half everyone expected, with two similar set-ups and both sides knowing any mistake would be important."

The first clip above shows the two teams at work defensively: first, we see Atlético press high, followed by the counterpress from Inter, with Nicolò Barella stealing the ball. From there, the visitors switch rapidly from a high block to deep defence – their commitment to get back underlined by the recovery run by right wing-back Nahuel Molina.

The second clip shows Inter pressing high at a throw-in – and the risk element that comes with having so many men upfield. As we see, it takes just two passes to set Antoine Griezmann away down the right. The point here is the importance of 1v1 defending – and the need for defenders to do it well now that teams are pressing so high. In this instance, Carlos Augusto responds superbly to the threat.

The significance of 1v1 defending was highlighted in our review of the group stage, in which the UEFA match observers addressed the need for defensive balance behind the ball. This is the focus of the third clip, which shows Atlético alert to the threat of a possible Inter counter.

This scenario calls to mind the words of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, commenting in a group stage analysis article on this aspect of defending: "When a team are attacking, defenders should look at wherever the opponents are and get tight to them so if they lose the ball, the opposition cannot just find an easy pass."

Inter rotate with wing-backs coming inside

Inter changed their approach in the second half when – to quote goalkeeper Yann Sommer – they "were good in finding space". One of the keys was the way their players rotated to progress the ball in the wide areas and create crossing opportunities.

As the video above shows, it was the home centre-backs and midfielders who stepped out wide as their wing-backs came inside. In the first clip, Matteo Darmian can be seen instructing Barella to stay wide as he moves into an advanced position infield. Thanks to Darmian's run, Inter now have an extra body up there, with three men occupying the trio of Atlético centre-backs. It also means a dilemma for the visitors' left wing-back, Samuel Lino: does he mark Darmian or shut down Barella?

Karanka noted that centre-backs Benjamin Pavard and Alessandro Bastoni also got high and wide, and the second clip shows a rotation involving the former. As in the first clip, Lino is drawn to the wing-back – substitute Denzel Dumfries – and Pavard has room to send over a cross.

Inter connecting with their front players

The post-match view of Inter midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, speaking to TNT Sports, was that Inter were guilt of hurrying things in the first half, whereas "in the second half we understood we had to play our game". What this involved was showing more purpose and bravery in their passing.

As this third video highlights, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi likes his team to invite the opposition to press them high before then exploiting the space behind, and in the second period they connected much better with their forward players. And if Atlético's back line was disrupted by two of their three centre-backs going off, the biggest factor was the part played by half-time substitute and Player of the Match Marko Arnautović.

The first clip above shows Inter breaking swiftly into space in a counter that ends with an opportunity for the Austrian veteran. He played a pivotal role with his work between the lines, dropping deep to collect the ball and create overloads. And the second clip shows him do just this as he combines with Lautaro Martínez for another excellent opportunity.

Karanka said of Inter's 34-year-old match winner: "He has the experience of playing games at a high level and in a tight contest; he showed his game understanding. He knew how to exploit the spaces. As the game went on, with more distances opening up between the defence and midfield, he was able to get into those spaces in between."

With it, he and his Inter side earned their victory – while offering a lesson for coaches on how, with clever movement, a team can penetrate a low block.

Lessons for player development

"These analysis articles form part of a strategy of translating findings from our senior club and national team competitions into actionable insights for elite youth development. By looking at trends from the Champions League, men's and women's, these articles can be used as an engine for player development across the European landscape."
UEFA's head of technical education & development, Olivier Doglia