Inter Milan suffered a rare defeat in the Champions League after Lautaro Martinez missed a penalty in the shootout against Atletico Madrid, but Rio Ferdinand has pinpointed the exact moment the Argentine’s ‘legs went’.

The Italian giants have been one of the most impressive sides on the continent in 2023-24 – losing only twice in all competitions coming into Wednesday night’s clash against Diego Simeone and Co.

Despite holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Inter ultimately lost to the Spanish side, with Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay netting after Federico Dimarco’s early strike for Inter.

Up stepped captain and star striker Martinez, but with elimination beckoning, he contrived to thunder the ball well over the bar and into the stands, putting Atletico through in the process.

Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez missed the fifth and final penalty in his side’s shootout with Atletico Madrid and, ultimately, sent Inter Milan crashing out of the Champions League

The Argentina international sent his effort blazing over the bar to put Atletico Madrid through

TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand had identified the moment the striker looked to have given away his nervousness

And former Man United defender Ferdinand was quick to point out there were signs before he even stepped up to strike the ball that Martinez might not score his attempt.

‘As he was walking up he tried to kick the ball up but he fumbled it as he was trying to do it,’ TNT Sports pundit Ferdinand said post-match.

‘As he was doing this I was thinking, “oh my God he can’t kick the ball up, he’s nervous, his legs have gone”.

‘And he puts the ball down and from that moment I wasn’t confident, I thought he would miss. He looked down at the penalty spot too. he’s on a carpet out there!’

After Martinez’s horror effort, his head immediately whipped around to glare accusatorily at the penalty spot, suggesting that there might have been something wrong with the turf.

However, as Ferdinand points out, the field at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium appeared to be in good condition.

Martinez has been among the contenders for the European Golden Boot this term, having enjoyed a prodigious run of form for the Serie A league leaders.

The Argentine World Cup winner has scored some 26 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, as well as offering up five assists, and would likely have been one of the Nerazzurri’s more confident spot-kick takers.

Martinez had been seen trying to flick the ball up before taking his spot-kick on Wednesday

 Martinez has scored 26 goals in 36 games in all competitions but still missed from the spot

Joe Cole also felt that the striker looked on edge for someone that normally appears ‘assured and clinical’

Even so, Ferdinand was not the only pundit to notice that the striker looked less than comfortable as he made the dreaded approach to the penalty area from the halfway line before his pressure penalty.

‘He looked like a nervous man, someone usually so assured and clinical,’ added Joe Cole. ‘But that is what it [a penalty shoot-out] does to you.

‘Oblak dived a bit early but he didn’t take a look. He tried to lace it and he got it wrong.’

Atletico will now await their fate for the last-eight and last-four alongside Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, with the draw taking place on Friday.