Inter Milan faces Atletico Madrid in Madrid: a Continental Test for Cuvo’s Inter
25 November 2025
Match Context
Inter Milan, the Italian runners-up in the Champions League, head to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday for their first real continental test, aiming to atone for the derby defeat to city rivals Milan in Serie A, amid doubts about their ability to handle big matches under their new Romanian coach, Cristian Kivo.
The Italian club, runner-up of the 2023 edition, has won all four group games so far, giving them a great chance to reach the last-16 directly, but the trip to Spain represents their first real continental test.
Inter's perfect record in Europe includes wins over Ajax Amsterdam, Slavia Prague, Union Saint-Gilloise, and the modest Kazakh side Kairat Almaty.
But a tougher run awaits in the remainder of the group stage.
After Atletico, Inter host Liverpool, then Arsenal, before traveling to Borussia Dortmund in the eighth and final match.
Inter collected 16 points in last season's group stage, enough to finish top eight, meaning they will likely need four points from these matches to avoid a playoff.
Big-match anxieties under Kivo
His record in big games under Kivo is worrying, as his 0-1 defeat to Milan on Sunday marked the latest in a string of decisive clashes. He has also lost to Napoli, the reigning Italian champions, and Juventus, with four defeats so far in Serie A.
On Sunday Kivo said: "I see my players giving their all in training, I can't blame anyone, and I don't want to look for excuses. We're in this together and everyone is responsible for both the good and the bad."
Defeat to Milan was particularly painful after the woodwork denied a goal twice, while Turkish international Hakan Calhanoglu missed a penalty.
He added: "We could all have done better; we could have scored earlier or handled moments better. Now we must bounce back."
Kivo’s Inter: a rookie's big-stage test
The Romanian coach, who helped Inter complete a treble with Mourinho in 2010, was handed one of Europe’s biggest jobs after only a few matches in his senior coaching career.
He saved Parma from relegation after succeeding Fabio Pecchia in February; despite Inter's form not reflecting a lack of experience, he has yet to prove himself on the big stage.
Meanwhile, the challenge is tougher with the absence of Dutch right-back Denzel Dumfries, who with Federico Dimarco forms a crucial attacking axis. Dumfries has scored in two Champions League games, but an ankle injury will sideline him until next month.
Matteo Darmian’s ongoing calf issue rules out the usual deputy, while Brazilian Carlos Augusto, who replaces Dimarco, has not offered much on the opposite flank.
Atlético Madrid: a winning run in focus
Despite losses to Liverpool and Arsenal in Europe, Atlético Madrid have a five-match winning streak across all competitions, and sit just four points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
Argentina’s goalkeeper Juan Musso took charge of the win over Getafe 1-0 after giant stopper Jan Oblak was injured for Slovenia’s national team; Musso hardly faced testing work on Sunday, but the absence of Oblak and knee injury to defender Robin Le Normand could give Inter a chance to reach the knockout stage.
Inter fans may hope for more, but the road ahead remains a long one.
Punchlines: If football were a sniper’s stage, this match would be a perfect one-shot—precision, not poetry. And remember: in football as in life, sometimes the best plan is to wing it and hope the legs carry you to the popcorn stand at halftime.
