Atletico Madrid defeated Inter Milan and progressed to the Champions League quarterfinals, a moment that brought joy to Jan Oblak who played the role of the hero.
Just before Oblak made two saves in a penalty shootout resulting in a 3-2 victory for Atletico, goals from Memphis Depay and Antoine Griezmann nullified Federico Dimarco’s initial goal, bringing the last-16 match to a tie on aggregate.
Reflecting on the dramatic evening in the Spanish city, the 31-year-old goalkeeper couldn't help but smile.
While talking to TNT Sports on Wednesday, he expressed, “It was a fantastic night. Winning and advancing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League is always a great feeling, so I am very pleased for the team.
“In the past month, our form hasn't been great but today we demonstrated that we are capable of much more.
“I hope we can maintain this level of performance.”
This season, Diego Simeone’s team has struggled when playing away, and they were trailing 1-0 going into the second leg.
Nevertheless, in order to compete in the later stages of the competition, Oblak foresees an improvement in their performances in away matches.
He added, “It's a mystery to everyone. I don't know why it's like that but we need to change. We can't just excel in home games.
“In away games, we drop many points in LaLiga and we lost against Inter in the Champions League but we believe we can win at home.
“I think penalties are a gamble because despite all the analysis and preparations, players often change their minds.
“Fortunately, I managed to save two and I am delighted about that.
“Stopping a penalty is no easy task. It might seem that way from the outside, but it's not so simple because the goal is so large and sometimes it doesn't matter if you dive in the right direction.”
