FULL TIME: Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid (agg 2-4)
The whistle goes! Real Madrid have reached their 15th European Cup final! They’ll play Juventus in Cardiff, where they’ll have a chance to become the first team to defend the trophy in the Champions League era! They jig and dance in glee. Deservedly so: they were the better team over the two legs. But in many respects tonight is about the vanquished Atletico, who bravely hauled themselves back into this tie. For a while, an astonishing comeback looked to be on. But then Godin, Savic and Gimenez let Benzema slip away, Isco scored a vital away goal, and the tie was as good as over. The rain pelts down, in and around Atletico hearts, but at least they can say they won the last-ever European match at the Vicente Calderon. Which has got to mean something. Right?
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90 min: A Kroos shot is deflected wide for a corner that leads to nothing. There will be two minutes of added time. Can Atletico hold on, and at least win the last-ever European game at the Vicente Calderon, even if they’re not going to win the tie?
89 min: Ronaldo spins and shoots high from the right-hand edge of the Atletico D. Up the other end, Gabi shoots towards the bottom left from 25 yards. It’s smothered by Navas.
88 min: It’s tipping down at the Vicente Calderon. Soundtrack by Buddy Holly. Poor Atletico.
87 min: Isco exits. Morata comes on.
85 min: Correa is booked for a frustrated barge on Ronaldo.
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84 min: Atletico are slowing up now. The fans aren’t piping down, though. They have been superb all night. Bedlam from start to finish, with any dips momentary and understandable.
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82 min: Thomas sprays a lovely ball down the right and very nearly releases Gameiro on goal. Real counter, Modric scooping a ball down the right for Ronaldo, who would have been one on one with Oblak were he not clearly offside.
81 min: A ball bounces down the middle of the park and into the Real box. Varane and Navas hesitate. Eventually the keeper decides to act, and punches clear just in time, with Gameiro looking to loop a header over him.
79 min: Atletico, to their great credit, haven’t given this up at all. Thomas hoicks a searching cross into the Real box from the right, but it’s just too high and forceful for Grizemann.
77 min: Correa and Gameiro combine to nearly force the ball into the bottom left of Real’s net. Not quite. The visitors break up the other end, Marcelo in acres down the left, Ronaldo free in the middle. The former should feed the latter for a simple finish, but the cross isn’t all that, and Savic is able to head clear.
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76 min: Changes afoot. For Atletico, Correa comes on for Koke. For Real, Benzema and Casemiro are replaced by Lucas Vazquez and Asensio.
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75 min: Benzema goes on another manic dribble down the inside-left channel. Despite being surrounded by opponents, he keeps going and very nearly works space to shoot. Thomas eventually dispossesses him, but what escapology skills Benzema has showcased this evening!
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74 min: Marcelo, deep as you like down the left, whips a peach of a cross to the far post. Benzema meets the ball with a full-length diving header, and it’s not far away from the top right. As it whips the side netting, the Vicente Calderon falls silent, the majority fearing the worst. Though when it’s realised it’s just a goal kick, there’s no great rise in volume. Everyone knows the jig is up.
72 min: Casmeiro hangs out a leg and brings down Gameiro, dribbling down the right. A free kick and a chance to load the box, but Godin drags down Danilo and the pressure is off.
71 min: Griezmann chases a long bouncer down the inside-left channel, and hits a first-time screamer towards the bottom left. Navas turns it around the post, and the resulting corner comes to naught.
69 min: ... Real have a goal unfairly disallowed! Kroos and Modric try to recreate the old Beckham-Scholes corner-volley routine. Modric doesn’t connect properly, from the right of the D. But the ball bounces diagonally to Ronaldo, who feather-shuttles it onwards, into the left-hand side of the net. The flag goes up for offside. Ronaldo claims he didn’t hit the ball. He did, but he was played on by Savic in the middle. It probably won’t matter, but that’s a poor decision.
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68 min: Marcelo twists and turns down the left, and earns a corner off Thomas. From which...
66 min: Atletico need to do something very soon, and they nearly do. Carrasco hipshakes in from the left, diddles Varane, and curls a shot towards the top right. But what a save by Navas! He parries, then turns away a follow-up header by Gameiro, who really should have scored. A corner follows, but nothing comes of it. Oh my. Oh Kevin!
65 min: On the touchline, Diego Simeone looks becalmed, bordering on resigned. His team have played marvellously well tonight; such a shame they didn’t turn up at the Bernabeu last week.
64 min: Atletico need something soon. Carrasco works wonders down the left and, not for the first time, sends a ball across the face of the Atletico goal that evades his slow-thinking forwards. Carrasco is a gem of a player, like that’s breaking news.
63 min: Gabi’s relentless pressing nearly sets up a chance, as he steals the ball off Isco and then hoicks a pass down the middle for Saul Niguez to chase. But Saul Niguez can’t quite get the ball under control, and it bumbles though to Navas, who clears.
61 min: Gabi goes in late on Casemiro. He’s already on a booking, and Ramos reminds the referee of the fact. The official’s not to be pushed into unnecessary action, though. It was a clip on the back of the ankle, nothing more. We play on.
59 min: Corner for Real out on the right. Atletico half clear. Modric thinks about a shot from 20 yards, but is knocked off the ball. The reigning European champions are totally on top now. The home support are gamely still making noise, regardless.
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58 min: Marcelo slips into space down the left, reaches the byline and cuts one back for Ronaldo, on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Ronaldo shapes like his manager in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen, but hooks his first-time shot wide left of the goal.
57 min: A double change by Atletico: Torres and Gimenez off, Gameiro and Thomas on.
55 min: Danilo sashays inside from the right. He lays off to Isco, who should play Marcelo free down the left - think Pele and Carlos Alberto in reverse - but opts to shoot for the bottom right instead. Bad decision; he drags a miserable effort low and wide right.
53 min: Griezmann, out on the left, creams a gorgeous diagonal pass towards Carrasco, romping down the right. Carrasco chests down and enters the Real box, but the ball takes a flyer out of play. Had he cushioned that better, he was clear past Marcelo.
52 min: Casemiro spins neatly into space down the middle, lovely feet. He slips the ball wide to Marcelo, who has Isco with him; Real are two on one down the flank. But Marcelo dallies and dithers, and a chance to carve Atletico open is gone.
50 min: Filipe Luis crosses deep from the left. Ramos heads clear. Gimenez bombs down the inside-right channel looking to blooter the ball goalwards. Isco checks him in cynical style. Free kick. Griezmann looks to curl one into the top right from 25 yards, but it’s a tad too high.
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48 min: Ronaldo whipcracks a blistering shot straight at goal, never mind the tight angle. The ball makes its way through a thicket of players, forcing Oblak to punch clear off his line. Very close to the perfect start to the half for Real. Another goal would make a hell of a task surely impossible for Atletico.
47 min: Kroos hooks the corner into the mixer. Ronaldo, ten yards out, should connect with a header but uncharacteristically mistimes his jump. Atletico clear, but Real are coming back at the hosts yet again through Kroos. Griezmann checks him to the floor, and this is a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the left of the Atletico box.
And we’re back! Atletico get the ball rolling for the second half. Neither side has made any changes. Ronaldo is quickly scooting down the left wing, and his low cross looks for Griezmann inside. Godin knocks it clear. But Benzema comes again down the same wing, and that leads to the first corner of the half.
HALF TIME: Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid (agg: 2-4)
Wow. Where did that time go? Pity poor Atletico, who had hauled themselves back into contention with a start of the most glorious intensity. But Real aren’t the European champions for nowt, and they worked their way back into the game, plundering a vital away goal that has in all probability decided this tie. Still, another early Atletico one-two in the second half, and you never know. Put it this way: you’re not going anywhere, are you?
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45 min: Torres and Ronaldo exchange words. The scoreline allows Ronaldo to smile in the passive-aggressive fashion. Torres is simply aggressive. There’s a fair chance this will boil over in the second half. Or in the two extra first-half minutes added by the referee, you never know.
44 min: That indeed has sucked the atmosphere out of the Vicente Calderon. Torres goes chasing a long ball. Navas comes out to kick clear. The pair clatter into each other, nobody giving an inch. Ooyah, oof.
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GOAL! Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid (Isco 42); agg 2-4
Atletico now need a third, fourth and fifth to win. Benzema is by the left-hand corner flag, surrounded by three opponents. But he escapes! He slips the ball along the byline, a fine tightrope act, then pulls it back for Kroos, belting into the box down the inside-left channel. He shoots low towards the bottom left. Oblak parries brilliantly, but the ball sits up for Isco, who clips it calmly into the corner past the prone keeper. In one fell swoop, Real are back in total control of this tie!
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40 min: Kroos bursts down the left and stands one up for Ronaldo, who was winding his neck back to power one goalwards. Savic eyebrows one away at the last. That was close. A reminder that should Real score, Atletico would suddenly need a third, fourth and fifth to win.
38 min: Isco dances down the left and cuts into the Atletico box. He sends a squirming shot towards the bottom left. Oblak gets down to smother. Next goal wins? Next goal may well win.
37 min: Isco bowls Griezmann to the floor in the midfield. It’s rough enough to be a booking, but the yellow’s not forthcoming. It is, however, showed to Atletico captain Gabi, for complaining about the non-decision. For a second, it looked like Gabi was ready to plant one on the ref, so livid was he. Godin steps in to calm his team-mate down, in relative terms anyway.
36 min: Griezmann tears down the right after a long pass. He flicks it cleverly inside for the brilliant Carrasco, who very nearly makes it into the area but has the ball cleverly nicked off his toe by Modric.
34 min: Godin is indeed booked for his over-zealous charge on Ronaldo. But so is Ramos, for giving it the big one during the “discussions”. This is wonderful entertainment in so many different ways.
33 min: Ronaldo goes down in dramatic style, rubbing his noggin having been clattered unceremoniously from behind by Godin. Real surround the referee demanding punishment.
31 min: It’s proper scrappy now. But scrappy in a very classy way. Kroos lays off and watches in horror as Gabi makes off with the ball; Griezmann is hustled out of it as he attempts to battle down the middle; Ronaldo tries to dribble down the right but miscontrols. Top-drawer nonsense.
29 min: The lull continues, Atletico perhaps suddenly realising they’ve got something to lose now. All very cagey.
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27 min: Atletico respond with a little bit of possession of their own. For the first time in the match, the pace has dropped a little. In fairness, how could they have kept it up?
25 min: But Real aren’t European champions for nothing, and even with their heads swimming, they’re able to hog the ball in an attempt to build something in attack. Eventually Saul Niguez gets fed up with Real’s possession-based stylings, and clatters Isco to the floor. Ronaldo attempts to batter the free kick from distance; nope.
23 min: Godin slides in extremely hard, but extremely fairly, on Modric. He offers Modric a hand to get up. Modric performs a textbook hissy fit, and refuses it. Real are rattled.
22 min: Atletico ping it around the middle for a while, in order to take some of the sting out of the game. Real had come back at them hard after conceding the second. Simeone’s advice was heeded, it seems.
20 min: Kroos from the right this time. Ramos rises and heads harmlessly over the bar. On the touchline, Diego Simeone performs the internationally recognised mime for calm down and use your head. This situation is surely beyond Atletico’s wildest dreams, so it’s good advice. A long time left to get that third.
19 min: Marcelo tries to cross deep from the left. He earns a corner via a deflection. Kroos hits it deep. Casemiro comes in from the right and forces another corner, this time from the right.
18 min: Again, Real come straight back at Atletico after conceding. Isco discos down the left and earns a corner. But Torres gets his head on the set piece and the danger is gone.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 2-0 Real Madrid (Griezmann 16 pen); agg 2-3
Griezmann steps up. It’s not a good penalty kick, just to the right of Navas and not particularly high or hard. Navas even gets a hand to it, but he can’t stop the ball drifting into the right-hand side of the net. Not exactly textbook, but who in red and white cares?! This is an outstanding start by Simeone’s men, and this semi-final is in the balance now!
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Penalty to Atletico Madrid!
15 min: Oh my goodness! Carrasco slips a pass down the inside-right channel. Torres strides into the box, then falls over Varane’s outstretched leg. The referee points to the spot! Atletico haven’t clocked the official’s decision, and moan awhile. They soon pipe down as all becomes clear.
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13 min: Of course, an away goal for Real would suck the air out of the stadium in double-quick time. Isco very nearly sends Ronaldo skittering clear down the inside-right in a brisk counter-attack, but Godin positions himself well to intercept.
GOAL! Atletico Madrid 1-0 Real Madrid (Saul Niguez 12); agg 1-3
Carrasco shoots from distance. His effort is deflected out for a corner on the right. The set piece is fired hard towards the near post. Saul Niguez rises high and powers an unstoppable header into the top right! The Vicente Calderon erupts, and well, well, well!
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11 min: Good work down the left earns Atletico a corner, but the set piece is lifted harmlessly into the arms of Navas. This is a brisk start by the home side, who are making half-chances.
10 min: Carrasco fires a wonderful ball through the Real box from the right, but neither Griemann nor Torres are on the front foot. Real got away with that, because it was a killer cross.
9 min: Koke lifts a pass down the inside-left channel for Torres, who tries to control but is overpowered by Ramos just inside the Real area. The home fans claim a penalty kick, but nobody in red and white makes much of a noise.
7 min: Now Savic is booked for knocking Isco to the floor out on the Real right. The set piece is sent in to Casemiro, who sends a header towards the bottom right from 12 yards. Oblak, at full stretch, parries clear. Both keepers have now made a fine save. Atletico go straight up the other end, Carrasco dribbling in from the right and causing Real some mild panic. He’s swarmed by black shirts and falls over, claiming a touch from Casemiro behind him. No penalty. There didn’t seem much in it. This is great fun!
5 min: Carrasco spins down the right, past Marcelo, and reaches the byline, whipping a cross towards Koke at the near post. Navas turns it out for a corner. Torres meets the set piece, six yards out, but heads straight down, the ball ballooning up and over the bar. Harmless.
4 min: A yellow card for Danilo, who miscontrols a pass out on the Real left and plants a high boot on Filipe Luis’s face in an attempt to reclaim the ball. He doesn’t complain about his punishment, it’s a fair cop.
2 min: Isco and Ronaldo exchange passes down the inside-right channel. Ronaldo sends a dribbler towards the bottom left. Oblak carefully plucks the ball off the turf. This promises to be joyously hectic.
And we’re off! Real, 3-0 up after the first leg, get the ball rolling for the second. Bedlam inside this famous old ground. Danilo is ushered into touch within seven seconds, and that’s cheered like a goal. Within 20 seconds, Torres and Ramos go up for a high ball, the former sending the latter crashing to the floor. Ramos rolls around quite a lot, but there was nothing in that. A lot of whistling. Within one minute and five seconds, Griezmann sends a long speculative effort whistling over the crossbar. Some start! Another 89 minutes of this and we’ll be doing well!
The teams are out! Atletico are in their famous red and white striped shirts, with cobalt blue strides. Real Madrid wear their third-choice black number. Johnny Nice Painter would approve. The home fans unfurl a huge banner: DE NO SER COMO VOSOTROS. Not to be like you. A singular club, all right. Some atmosphere in the Vicente Calderon all right. We’ll be off in a minute!
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Zinedine Zidane speaks! “We’re going to play our game and get goals, as we always do. We have beaten them in some big matches, but that’s in the past. We mustn’t think about such things. It’s a different game now.”
Diego Simeone speaks! “We’re going to be up against a very good side, and we’ll have to be focused, defend well and do well going forward, all of which you need in the Champions League semi-finals. We’re motivated and excited about facing a very strong team that we know will give us a really good game. We haven’t eaten in four days, so just imagine how hungry we are!” At which point he spins away in high amusement.
Some pre-match reading. The Fiver’s been going for the best part of 20 years now - I know - but to be fair we’ve been pretty good at maintaining standards. It’s as unfunny as it ever was. Today’s edition saw tonight’s match projected through the prism of miserablism, on account of it not being 1980 any more. Enjoy, enjoy!
Atletico make two changes from the starting XI torn apart at the Bernabeu. Lucas Hernandez and Kevin Gameiro drop to the bench, allowing Jose Maria Gimenez and Fernando Torres to take their places.
Real make just the one swap from last week. Dani Carvajal is hamstrung, so in steps his replacement Danilo.
The teams
Atletico: Oblak, Gimenez, Savic, Godin, Filipe Luis, Koke, Gabi, Saul Niguez, Carrasco, Griezmann, Torres.
Subs: Moya, Tiago, Correa, Lucas Hernandez, Gameiro, Thomas, Gaitan.
Real: Navas, Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Modric, Isco, Kroos, Bemzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Rodriguez, Kovacic, Vazquez, Asensio, Morata.
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)
¡Hola!
Would you ever say a Diego Simeone team has no chance whatsoever? Well, you wouldn’t say it to the man’s face, that’s for sure. And never say never in the European Cup, which has had its share of famous comebacks over the years. But let’s be realistic. Simeone’s Atlético Madrid are three goals adrift in this tie, thanks to Real Madrid force of nature Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick in the first leg at the Bernabeu. Nobody has ever overturned even a two-goal first-leg defeat in the Champions League semis. If Atlético manage this, it’ll be Deportivo-Milan, the miracle of Istanbul and Barca-PSG rolled into one. God speed, Atleti!
But what’s the point of professional sport if you’re not allowed to dream? This will be the last-ever European tie at the Vicente Calderón, Atlético’s home since 1966 and due to be pulled down in the summer. If they did it, if they somehow managed to pull it off, it’d be some fairytale ending, huh? It may be the case that Atlético have only once in the last four decades beaten Real at home by three clear goals, but it happened just two years ago, a 4-0 victory in La Liga. An early goal tonight, and you never know. Well, we probably do know, but what’s the point of professional sport if you’re not allowed to dream?
Coming at this from a more rational angle, let the record state that Real have beaten Atlético in all four of their previous European Cup meetings. That run stretches back to the 1959 semis, and includes the 2014 and 2016 finals. Throw in the 2015 quarters, and Real have done for Atlético’s Champions League hopes in each of the last three seasons. Real are also unbeaten in this season’s competition, have won all five matches so far in the knockout stage, and have won 45 of 58 European ties in which they’ve won the first leg at home. What’s more, Zinédine Zidane’s team have scored in 60 successive fixtures, Manchester City being the last team to stop them in the first leg of the 2015/16 semis. If they make it 61 tonight, Atlético would need to score at least five times to make it to Cardiff. Also: that Ronaldo’s not half bad, eh?
On balance, then, Real have one foot and four other toes in the final. But you can bet Diego Simeone’s last bronze peseta that Atletico will nonetheless try their damnedest to send the Vicente Calderón off with a bang. It is a European Cup semi, after all. It’s Atleti’s last desperate roll of the dice. It’s sure to be emotional. It’s on!
Kick off: 8.45pm in Madrid, 7.45pm in UK time.
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