Marko Arnautovic scored to give Inter Milan a 1-0 win

Marko Arnautovic came, saw and scored. The 34-year-old Austrian team striker took advantage of the moment and shot his employer Inter Milan to a deserved 1-0 home win over Atletico Madrid in the 79th minute in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League.

“We fought hard for this success, it’s not a bad result,” said coach Simone Inzaghi, who substituted Arnautovic for the injured Marcus Thuram at the start of the second half.

The ÖFB veteran was immediately up to speed and had a number of options. After Lautaro Martinez stormed towards the Spaniards’ goal in the finish and failed, the ball landed at Arnautovic, who shot in low from a tight angle. The jubilation among the 73,709 visitors in the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium was correspondingly great.

It is questionable whether the Viennese will stay at Inter beyond the summer. The loan contract with FC Bologna expires. Inzaghi is certainly very happy with Arnautovic: “Maybe he and Alexis Sanchez didn’t stand out from the fans’ point of view, but for me their performances were excellent.”

Arnautovic was named “Man of the Match”. “He changed Inter’s game in the second half, moving well between the lines, creating chances and scoring the goal,” was UEFA’s verdict. The praised man appeared relieved: “That was definitely one of my most important goals. It wasn’t an easy time, I needed some time after the injury,” said Arnautovic.

Assist and moment of shock for Marcel Sabitzer

There was no winner in the duel between PSV Eindhoven and Dortmund. The Westphalians are not happy about the 1-1 draw because they gave up a 1-0 lead through Donyell Malen (24th/after an assist from Marcel Sabitzer). The equalizer came from a controversial penalty, Mats Hummels had played the ball first in the penalty area (56th).

Sabitzer had to deal with a moment of shock towards the end of the first half of the game. The native Welser blocked a shot from Hirving Lozano, twisted his knee and had to be treated for minutes. Then he continued.

Defending champion Manchester City is on course for the quarterfinals after winning 3-1 a week ago in Copenhagen and has finally been back in the championship race in the English Premier League since Tuesday. Goal scorer Erling Braut Haaland, who scored in the 71st minute, became the match winner in the 1-0 win against relegation candidate Brentford.

Pep Guardiola’s team is only one point behind leaders Liverpool FC, who host Luton Town on Wednesday (8.30 p.m., Sky).