If Atletico Madrid knocks out Inter, Serie A may face an embarrassing situation
The 16-16 matchup in the Champions League between Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan was the most confusing. The other seven groups are in a similar situation, but it is difficult to say whether the match between Atalanta and Inter will be won or lost. Inter Milan finished second in the Champions League last season, but on an overall level, they are not as good as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, and Atalanta are also notoriously difficult in European football, even if Bayern and Barcelona have had problems. So in terms of past results, Inter Milan is obviously better than Atletico Madrid, but in terms of current conditions, it is difficult to say.
All three Italian clubs are among the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, with Lazio beating Bayern Munich 1-0, but Lazio may not be able to stay in the final at the Allianz Stadium for the next leg. Napoli face Barcelona, who are just as aggressive. Therefore, whether the Italian Champions League can continue to move forward this season depends largely on the performance of Inter Milan. If Inter Milan could beat Atletico Madrid, they wouldn't have been bad in the league. If you can't make the cut, then the quarterfinals are a hurdle to the first division.
In addition, Inter played against Atletico Madrid, which also means that they are obliged to play for Italy to the end. This is thanks to Inter's dominance in Italy this season.
For many years, many people have been calling for a resurgence in Serie A, as evidenced by Italy's victory at Euro 2021. But it is undeniable that Italy has lost the opportunity to participate in this World Cup for the second time. Looking back at the European Champions League a few years ago, Milan's two brothers reached the quarterfinals last season, how do people look at it and feel uncomfortable? Considering the future, Juventus is the only way out.
In the quarterfinals of the European Champions League, there were two Italian teams, right? So, this time, can you still do that? Even if the threshold is lowered, even if it is only to the quarterfinals, it can allow them to recover slowly.
Some time ago, we were all talking about Inter becoming the hegemon of Italy. But how much of this benefit is there? So far, Inter Milan has 19 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat in 23 league rounds, leading Juventus with 60 points. That's it, because Paris has surpassed the second place in the French standings by 11 points. The secret is that Inter Milan holds the record of being number one in Europe. Inter have conceded just 12 goals so far, the lowest number of goals conceded in the top five leagues. Judging by this number alone, Inter Milan is probably the best defender in European football.
But the problem is that the same number doesn't make any sense when put in another context. Inter have conceded just 12 goals in 23 league games so far, which is quite staggering. In fact, one only has to look back at Inter's grouping in the Champions League, after six rounds, they have conceded only five goals, a much higher goal ratio than the Premier League. In addition, Inter Milan are also behind Real Madrid in top of the group, who have conceded just two goals in six league games. In addition, Real Madrid has not even qualified for the Champions League now, and neither has Inter Milan.
So Inter Milan conceded 12 goals, could it be exaggerated? The humidity here has a lot to do with the level of the Premier League. Therefore, Inter should indeed beat Atletico Madrid to get a fair hand for the league. A team that conceded only 12 goals in the Premier League, arguably the first in Europe, was kicked out by a Spanish semi-final in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, which was a resounding slap in the face for the entire Serie A.
In some ways, Inter have become ambassadors of the Italian league. So the game between Inter Milan and Atalanta is like a game between Italy and Atalanta. This time, are you going to be slapped hard?