There was a lot of talk of possible biscotto in Madrid but, in the end, the draw in group B came in Milan, where Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk both saw their Champions League campaigns end as they drew 0-0.
Real Madrid’s win over Borussia Monchengladbach meant that a win for either side would have sent them into the knockout rounds, but neither managed to score at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Antonio Conte had said that he wasn’t concerned about what was going to happen in Madrid, and he had faith that the two sides wouldn’t play out a draw in Spain. After only a few minutes, he was proven right as Karim Benzema sent Real Madrid on their way, meaning a win would have seen Inter through.
But the Nerazzurri couldn’t get the job done. Despite having beaten Shakhtar 5-0 in the Europa League quarter-finals in August, and despite the Ukrainians having fallen out of Atalanta’s group on the last matchday of last season’s group stages, they were able to keep Conte’s side out.
Inter, as a result, finished bottom of the group and crash out of Europe completely as the only Serie A side to not progress to the knockout rounds with Juventus, Lazio and Atalanta all still standing.