Dimarco warns Inter have no room for error against Atletico Madrid
INTER Milan defender Federico Dimarco is wary of Atletico Madrid’s Champions League pedigree ahead of their blockbuster last-16 second leg on Wednesday.
The Italian side lead 1-0 from the first leg at San Siro and are in fine form compared to their opponents.
The runaway Serie A leaders, 16 points clear at the top of the table, have won each of their 13 games in all competitions so far in 2024 while Atletico, fourth in LaLiga, go into the match with victories from only two of their last nine outings.
However, Dimarco said at the pre-match press conference: “We know Atletico’s strength, they are a strong team and we know their history in the Champions League.
“We will take to the pitch to play our game like we did in the first leg. It will be a difficult match but we had the advantage of our crowd at San Siro, they will have it here.
“We know their strength and we know that they know how to give their best at home.
“It will be difficult like all matches in the Champions League, we have the minimum advantage of 1-0 - tomorrow we must not make a mistake in our approach.”
Diego Simeone’s men have, though, been formidable at home, with February’s 1-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey ending an unbeaten run at the Metropolitano stretching back to January 2023 that featured only two games they did not win.
Simeone told a press conference: “Tomorrow we will face probably one of the best teams in Europe.
“But I trust in my players and my team and I know they are going to have a good game against a great opponent. It will be a match that requires very high concentration and whoever has it will win.”
Midfielder Axel Witsel added: “The first leg was bad for us but tomorrow we can put it right in our stadium. We have been playing very well at home, so it’s different.
“Inter are a very strong team in every area and it won’t be easy for us. But if we match their intensity and aggression we can do something great tomorrow.”