Marko Arnautovic, coming off the bench, secured the lead for Inter Milan in their Champions League last-16 encounter against Atletico Madrid.
Lautaro Martinez’s attempt was deflected into the path of Arnautovic by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, allowing the Austrian forward to unleash a powerful shot from a narrow angle.
Arnautovic had previously squandered several significant opportunities in the second half, including heading over the bar and firing off target with the goal at his mercy.
Replacing the injured Marcus Thuram just before halftime, former Stoke and West Ham forward Arnautovic entered the match.
The hosts, last season’s Champions League runners-up, had the most promising chances of the game, with Martinez being denied twice by Oblak’s timely saves.
Alvaro Morata made a second-half appearance after recovering from a knee injury but failed to make a notable impact for Atletico in manager Diego Simeone’s 100th Champions League match.
Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer didn’t face any shots on goal, securing his 21st clean sheet of the season across all competitions.
Simone Inzaghi’s team maintains a nine-point lead at the summit of Serie A, having not suffered a defeat since December 20th against Bologna in the Coppa Italia.
Atletico will host the second leg at the Civitas Metropolitano on March 13th.