Inter Milan Defeat Arsenal in Champions League Clash, Atletico Stuns PSG with Last-Minute Goal

In a hard-fought clash on a Wednesday night of UEFA Champions League action, Inter Milan snatched a narrow 1-0 triumph over Arsenal, thanks to a coolly taken penalty by Hakan Calhanoglu. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid secured a last-gasp victory, edging past Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 with a 93rd-minute strike.

With this victory, the Italian title-holders maintain their undefeated streak, firmly positioned at fifth place. At the midpoint of the freshly introduced league format, they boast a solid 10-point tally. “I must admit, we performed impressively against a side that’s full of energy,” Inter’s gaffer, Simone Inzaghi, mentioned in reflection.

As for Arsenal, the loss marked their maiden setback in European competition this season. They now trail behind Inter by seven spots and three points. The initial 45 minutes at San Siro brimmed with tension, teetering towards a stalemate, until a contentious penalty was awarded. The incident saw Mikel Merino inadvertently handle a Mehdi Taremi flick at close range.

“It was a bitter pill to swallow,” Mikel Arteta expressed to TNT Sports, questioning the harshness of the penalty decision. “There was nothing he could do. No way to avoid it.”

Calhanoglu, undeterred, converted the penalty crisply in the dying moments of the first half. Shortly after the hour mark, a combined defensive effort from Yann Sommer and Denzel Dumfries thwarted Gabriel Magalhaes from restoring parity.

Despite Arsenal amplifying their offensive efforts in the latter half, they couldn’t breach Inter’s rock-solid defense, resulting in the Premier League group enduring two losses in a mere four-day span.

Switching to action in Serbia, Barcelona surged to a 5-2 victory against Red Star Belgrade, thereby climbing to the sixth position. Inigo Martinez set the tone with an early header, but Red Star wasn’t deterred. Silas Mvumpa capitalized on a defensive lapse to draw level just before the half-hour mark.

Yet, Robert Lewandowski’s swift brace, straddling both halves, cemented Barca’s dominance and ensured their stance in the automatic qualifying slots. Additional goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez extended Barca’s lead, while Felicio Milson struck a consolation for the home side.

Back to Paris, Atletico’s late heroics stunned PSG, marking their second win in the Champions League this season. Angel Correa described the match to Movistar: “Our defense was stellar, and that last-minute goal made it all worthwhile.” With only a single victory and a draw out of four matches, PSG find themselves precariously poised in the elimination zone. Their looming fixtures against powerhouses Manchester City and Bayern Munich pile on the pressure.

PSG initially drew first blood via Warren Zaire-Emery’s clever chip over Jan Oblak at the 14-minute mark. However, Atletico swiftly countered, with Nahuel Molina netting the equalizer merely four minutes later. As PSG pushed aggressively, Atletico seized their opportunity. Antoine Griezmann’s pinpoint delivery to Correa culminated in a dramatic winner past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Bayern Munich found their stride again as Jamal Musiala’s decisive 67th-minute strike edged them past Benfica with a modest 1-0. Despite their stuttering campaign, Bayern’s two wins and two losses leave them dangling in mid-table with four fixtures remaining.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s unblemished Champions League record met its end, courtesy of a 1-0 defeat against Club Brugge. In an oddly amusing twist, Tyrone Mings’ miscue from Emiliano Martinez’s short goal kick gifted Brugge a penalty in minute 51. Hans Vanaken made no mistake, further unraveling Villa’s European aspirations.

French side Brest impressed with their steady European debut, besting Sparta Prague 2-1 on their turf to climb to fourth place. Elsewhere, Europa League holders Atalanta clinched a comfortable 2-0 victory over Stuttgart with second-half goals from Ademola Lookman and Nicolo Zaniolo.

Over in the Netherlands, RB Leipzig finally registered points this season, overcoming 10-man Feyenoord in a 3-1 exchange. Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk kept their momentum, clinching a 2-1 win against Young Boys, thereby extending the Swiss squad’s dismal campaign to their fourth straight loss.