Summary
A very Atlético performance: they got their goals from a penalty and a corner, before strangling the game. Nobody does it better, and Real simply had no answer, resorting to long-range strikes and hopeful crosses. Ancelotti’s men are going to have to think of new ways to score at least twice at the return leg at the Bernabéu.
Atlético made eight changes from the team that beat Levante at the weekend, and that rotation means they should be fresh for Barcelona this coming weekend. All in all, an excellent night’s work. But I’m giving all the credit to Fernando Torres and Simeone’s ballboy son, even though neither had any effect on the result, because I can.
Thanks for your emails and tweets tonight, see you next time. Bye!
Full-time: Atlético Madrid 2-0 Real Madrid
That’s Simeone’s third victory over Real Madrid this season in all competitions!
94 min: Ancelotti is looking very fed up.
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90+2 min: Atletico have the ball down in Real territory, Arda Turan using his considerable backside to frustrate Carvajal and co, before winning a couple of cheap throw ins. Simeone rouses the crowd (they don’t need it). This game is won, but conceding a late away goal could still be dangerous.
90 min: Five minutes added for injury time.
89 min: It’s turning into a scrappy affair here, which is exactly what Atletico want. Carvajal is the latest to go into the book, for a challenge on Gabi. The Atletico captain has been kicked all over the place. Surely this won’t end 11 v 11?
87 min: Koke flicks the ball round the corner, and Ramos surely blocks the pass with his arm! Surely a handball? No! Oooo he’s already on a yellow, could have been another red card to add to his collection! He’s had 19 so far for Real Madrid! It’s not given, and so when Ronaldo picks the ball up, Godin flattens him. Yellow for the Uruguayan.
85 min: Real Madrid have had 77% possession, but all they are doing at the moment is working it wide, and throwing a hopeful ball into the box. Food and drink for Godin and co. But can Real come up with anything different? Kroos tries from range, but it’s a weak effort.
82 min: One thing Atletico do so well is double up on the man with the ball. They have a covering midfielder or defender there so quickly that rarely even someone like Ronaldo or Bale can find enough space to get a shot or cross off. This time it is Mandzukic that comes back and picks Arbeloa’s pocket. Arbeloa is hauled off by Ancelotti for Carvajal. The former Liverpool man was in danger of losing his cool.
79 min: Arbeloa is perhaps a little fortunate to escape a red card for a late challenge on Gabi. The atmosphere here is reaching fever pitch. Various blood vessels are going off on Simeone’s brow, I would imagine.
Simple as you like: Gabi sends an outswinging corner from the right, Gimenez (who has been excellent tonight at the other end of the field) rises above all others and glances it into the far corner. There was no defender on either post! Why?! A massive goal for Atletico!
Turns out that ballboy is Simeone’s son!
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GOAL! Atletico Madrid 2-0 Real Madrid (Gimenez 76)
Here comes the ball boy again for another Simeone hug.
74 min: Coupla subs: Griezmann off to Mandzukic while for Real, Jese is on for Benzema.
72 min: Marcelo goes down. Marcelo wins free kick. Atletico players go nuts in protest. Gabi gets yellow card. It’s wide on the left, but this is Ronaldo range. He’s doing his cheek-blowy-outy-legs-apart thing. Griezmann looks like he’s bricking it in the wall. I’m not surprised, don’t envy him. It’s fired into the box, but wide.
69 min: Urgh! That is absolutely outrageous skill from Isco! A ball is sent in his vicinity, but it’s just over his head. It looks impossibly out of reach, but the Spaniard flicks out a heel and backheels it over the onrushing defender, all in one slick move. Pure filth!
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68 min: Turan replaces Saul. That’s Atletico’s second change.
67 min: What are the chances Simeone tells his team to drop really really deep and protect the 1-0 lead so they don’t give an away goal away? The answer is: high. This scoreline would perfectly suit Atletico for the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu: themselves able to counter attack and get an away goal to kill the tie off.
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65 min: Griezmann is booked for a late challenge on Kroos. This one is deserved. My colleague Ian McCourt has just passed me this lovely tweet.
A ball boy celebrates @atletienglish goal with Diego Simeone pic.twitter.com/bzBX91InQ9
— Mark Dempsey (@Eldempo98) January 7, 2015
63 min: Ancelotti has had enough. Ronaldo is on! (for James)
62 min: Again a swift punt upfield by Oblak with the Real defenders stranded. Again Griezmann chases down Marcelo, causing the Brazilian all kind of bother. The Calderon is rocking.
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61 min: Benzema cuts in from the right and is tripped by Jesus Gamez. Yellow card for the right-back. Kroos whips it in with his right, but that is an outstanding defensive header to clear by Godin, I think.
59 min: Torres takes his leave. He’s off for Koke. The Atletico fans rise to their feet to applaud. A fairly unremarkable second coming in truth. Worked hard, no end product. How many times has he been accused of that recently.
Neil Mackie on the email: ‘Torres is remembered fondly by the majority for the very very good times he gave us and for the £50m we got for a player in chronic decline and suffering from repeated injuries. And that £50m plus the sale of Babel helped to cover the cost of Suarez. And Carroll. Best not talk about that part.’
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GOAL! Atletico 1-0 Real Madrid (Raul Garcia 58)
Navas goes the right way but it’s right in the corner, into the side netting
56 min: Penalty to Atletico! Ramos takes a break from tussling with Torres to haul Raul Garcia to the ground inside the area, as a long throw comes in from the right. Definitely penalty.
Carra thinks otherwise.
Never a pen against Ramos! I did that to Lescott no problem. Foreign referees.
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) January 7, 2015
Yellow card for Ramos. Let Torres take it!
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54 min: Real are putting Atletico under some real pressure here. A succession of three corners and four crosses are punted into the box, Oblak coming to punch clear each time. That’s excellent from the goalkeeper. He’s been very assured tonight.
51 min: Chance for Bale! Marcelo arcs a looping diagonal over the Atletico defence, and with Gimenez caught on his heels, Bale takes a clean swipe on the volley as the ball comes out of the sky. He drags it wide of the far post! It was with his right admittedly but that’s the best chance Real have had since the opening minute.
49 min: Torres and Ramos are having a good ol’ tussle. This time, the Real Madrid man leaps in the air using the striker as leverage. It’s a foul. Ramos protests. Shock.
I’ve just looked it up. Sergio Ramos is only 28 years old. Um what now?!
47 min: Isco commits both Giminez and Godin before slipping in James, but Lucas does well to cover across: his slide tackle deflects the ball behind. James is actually ruled offside, even though he was definitely level.
Peeeep peeeep. We’re off again. Vicente del Bosque is innnnnn theee houuuusssse. No substitutions made by either team.
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Half-time hype/entertainment:
Look who’s been spotted at the Vincente Calderon. Another local Madrid lad set to graduate from Real’s esteemed youth academy bright young European talent brought in from abroad to rot in the reserves before being farmed out on loan and eventually sold to Palermo in 2019.
Pic: Martin Ødegaard at the Calderón [@DiarioBernabeu] pic.twitter.com/hnvWy63FDf
— Real Madrid Info (@RmadridInfo) January 7, 2015
For those of you unaware of who Martin Ødegaard is, Marcus Christenson did this nice profile on the 15-year-old from Norway. He’s about to sign for Real.
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Half-time: Atlético Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid
No time added at the end of the half.
43 min: I’ve been impressed with Isco. He’s the one Real player that has showed real inventiveness in the final third. Bale tries his luck from range, but it flies harmlessly wide.
40 min: A LOT of people are diving, or at least going down very easily. Marcelo is the latest to try and kid the referee, falling to the floor as soon as he feels Torres at his back. It’s tough for the referee out there to be fair, there’s been some cheeky fouls flying about too!
39 min: Benzema tries a shot from range and it is parried away by Oblak, luckily it doesn’t fall to Bale in the rebound. That’s the first thing he’s had to do since that fine save in the opening minute.
38 min: There are many teams that try to emulate Atletico’s style, but few do it with the same ferocity as Simeone’s side. It is not only actual tackles/interceptions that they make, but the lurking intent. Gabi looks as though he’s going to hurt someone every time he goes near a white shirt, and as a result, Real’s players end up pulling out of 50/50s. This time it’s Kroos who loses out.
36 min: Arbeloa gets to the byline down Atletico’s left and delivers a decent cross, it’s just too high for Khedira, who nods over.
33 min: Chance for Atletico! Saul bursts down the left flank and centres an excellent cross. It flies over the head of Torres, but Ramos’s flick away lands at the feet of Raul Garcia. One touch and bang! The ball flies toward the inside of the near post but it is well blocked by Marcelo. That was a goal if the Brazilian hadn’t intervened.
31 min: Khedira is the next man in the book, blocking the run of Torres with his arm across the Spaniard’s face.
Quick update on another of tonight’s games in the Copa del Rey. David Moyes is not longer a football genius! Villareal 1-0 Real Sociedad
29 min: Torres is offside. Again. That’s his third offence.
27 min: Everyone’s blood is up now, and things do not improve with Marcelo’s slide in on Jesus Gamez right in front of Simeone on the touchline. Jesus Gamez rolls once, twice, three times (!) and Marcelo is shown the first yellow card. It was a little harsh, there was minimal contact.
25 min: Save for a couple of mistimed runs, Torres has been quiet thus far.
‘As an overly-emotional Liverpool fanboy whose little heart was broken when Nando left (I’m 41 years old)‘, writes Matthew Turner on the email. ‘ I like him much better now that he’s back at Atletico and I even would have taken him back at Anfield this January. Sniff.’
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23 min: Arbeloa handballs, but it is not given. Cue the first of what you can assume with be many Simeone outbursts in his technical area. The fourth official goes to calm him down. Good luck with that one.
21 min: What a mistake and tackle from Varane! The French defender loses the ball to his compatriot Griezmann, who races away in the clear. But Varane shows such pace to recover, and just as the Atletico man is about to take aim, Varane slides in and hooks the ball away. The Atletico fans go mad, but it was magnificent defending, even if he was atoning for his error. Surely no other centre-back would have caught Griezmann there.
18 min: Kroos is dictating the play from deep, with Real’s full-backs well forward, and James tucked inside. Atletico are happy for them to have the ball just inside their own half but as soon as any ball is played into Benzema’s feet, Gimenez and Godin are onto him like wild dogs. No time or space in there.
15 min: From the resulting corner, Godin heads goalwards, but he is penalised for a foul. In the replay, there’s some pretty interesting grappling going on between Raul Garcia and Khedira. I say grappling, but was that a headbutt from Raul Garcia. Khedira is certainly claiming so, but he is waved away by the referee.
14 min: Oblak wastes no time, and with many of Real’s defenders up to attack the free-kick, he kicks long to release the pacy Griezmann. The Frenchman is one-on-one with Marcelo, but plays a one-two with Mario Suarez, before driving his shot at the near post. Turned round the post by Navas. Awkward that, as it bounced just before the keeper.
REAL MADRID GOAL DISALLOWED!
13 min: James whips a free-kick in from the left and Bale steals a march on the defence before glancing his header just inside the far post. But no, Atletico’s defence stepped up at the last moment and caught the Welshman offside. Rightfully ruled out.
9 min: Real are playing a very high defensive line. Gabi tries another lofted ball over the top, but Torres is again checked for offside. On-the-shoulder-Torres is my favourite type of Torres. It’s a dangerous game that for Madrid, particularly with Marcelo playing at left back...
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7 min: Big night for Atletico’s left-back Lucas. A product of the team’s academy, the 18-year is making only his third professional appearance. He’s up against Bale on Real’s right-hand flank. Gulp.
5 min: Torres is through on goal! Oh no… he’s flagged offside. Finishes the chance anyway, his lob sailing over Navas into the side netting. The Atlético fans oooo and ahhhhh regardless, and there’s a wry smile from Simeone.
3 min: Real have had all the early possession, which is expected. Simeone’s team will be happy to get men behind the ball and break quickly. Remember this is the first match in a two-legged tie, and AWAY GOALS COUNT.
1 min: Stunning save by Oblak. Real corner is swung in from the left, and Sergio Ramos, completely unmarked, plants a bullet header from about eight yards out but Atletico’s replacement keeper tips over! What a start!
Peeeeep peeeep. We’re underway at the Vicente Calderón!
The Captain does raise a serious point though. Liverpool fans, how do you feel about Fernando Torres now? Email and tweet in.
Captain Fantastic8 gets this evening’s tweets off to a flyer. I’m assuming it’s directed at Torres, not myself, as I’ve never played for Liverpool.
@guardian_sport @michaelbutler18 No matter wat u do or where u go u will b branded a betrayal bastard.U'll never b the same as u were at LFC
— Captain Fantastic8 (@nattyroons) January 7, 2015
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Interesting to see Simeone’s team, he has made wholesale changes but bear in mind Atlético’s opponents on Sunday in the league are Barcelona at Camp Nou, so it’s a fair decision to rest key personnel. Arguably the biggest name missing from the starting XI is Miranda, who is replaced by Gimenez.
Keep an eye out for Antoine Griezmann in particular, he will play off Torres in the forward line, and has been on fire of late, netting five goals in the last two games.
Seeing as I’ve mentioned Barcelona, they face Elche in the Copa del Rey round-of-16, the first leg of that tie is on Thursday. I think I’m right in saying the winners of that will meet tonight’s opponents in the quarter final! Woof.
Here is what Atlético manager Diego Simeone has had to say this week about his decision to start Fernando Torres tonight.
Torres came here after training with Milan and has already played 10 League games there, while he has spent several days working with us. If I didn’t feel he was strong enough, with the potential to break down opposition defences, I wouldn’t pick him. He has different characteristics to others in our squad and will improve our attack. I have great memories of him when he was a youngster and got on well with him when he was here before.
Right now he has arrived at an Atletico Madrid that has one of the best sides in its history and the fans are really excited. The presentation the other day with 45,000 of them there was awesome. We feel that we can compete for everything this year: La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
Torres played with Simeone in the early 2000s at Atlético, but here is a video with a very young Torres (at 46secs) singing the terrace song ‘11 Simeones.’
WATCH WATCH WATCH. Andy Brassell went to Madrid and made this:
Madrid: the greatest footballing city?
Tonight’s teams. Torres starts, Cristiano Ronaldo only makes the bench for Real!
Atlético Madrid: Oblak; Gámez, Godín, Giménez, Lucas, Mario, Gabi, Saúl, Raúl García, Griezmann, Torres Subs: Moyá, Juanfran, Tiago, Koke, Arda, Mandzukic, Raul Jiménez.
Real Madrid: Navas, Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo Khedira, Kroos, Benzema, James, Bale, Isco Subs: Casillas, Coentrao, Ronaldo, Carvajal, Nacho, Jese, Illarra
REAL MADRID'S STARTING XI: No Pepe, no Cristiano. pic.twitter.com/EKf668u05B
— SB (@Realmadridplace) January 7, 2015
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Tonight’s game is the Copa del Rey round-of-16 first leg. The most famous recent game in this competition between the two teams is of course the final back in 2013. it was not a match light on action or controversy. Atlético won 2-1, at the Santiago Bernabéu no less, their first win over Real since 1999. Cristiano Ronaldo scored but was sent off, along with Gabi and José Mourinho. Diego Costa, then an understudy to Radamel Falcao, equalised, before Miranda scored the winner in extra time.
The following is taken from Sid Lowe’s blog back in 2013.
Miranda, scorer of the winning goal, he said: “I wanted to score that goal for all the kids who laugh at my son every day for being an Atlético fan.”
Atlético’s players and staff wore T-shirts. “Winning is not an aim, it is an attitude,” read the front; “Madrid is red-and-white,” read the back. At 2.15 am, Atlético’s team bus finally pulled out of the Bernabéu, home of their great rivals, with the Copa del Rey on board. Miranda had nailed it. This was cathartic, revenge at last. This time there was a hint even before the game, that the psychology and pressure had shifted. Now, it really has, at long, long, long last. All year banging on about the décima (the 10th), all decade in fact, and it turned out they were right: this was the year of thedécima … just that instead of Madrid’s 10th European Cup, it was Atlético’s 10th Spanish Cup. In 18 months, Diego Simeone has won as much as José Mourinho in three years.
This time, Real Madrid were the Pupas, hitting the post three times, while Thibault Courtois made two stunning saves. For Atlético, this was not just a victory, it was an exorcism. Fourteen years and 26 games later, they had finally beaten Madrid. The never ending story ended. It is worth playing after all. There will be defeats against Real but they will not be the same. Goodbye Ctrl C, Ctrl V. Goodbye fatalism. Goodbye fear. Goodbye Pupas. Goodbye pain. Goodbye Cherry Street Bed and Breakfast. Goodbye and good riddance.
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Preamble
Perhaps you are somebody who has revelled in the decline of Fernando Torres. Once the world’s most expensive out-and-out striker, his career has at best stuttered, at worst plummeted since leaving Liverpool for Chelsea in 2011. Column inches praising his touch and ruthlessness in front of goal were replaced by gifs of chances missed or a Vine of a training ground gaffe. At Milan, themselves a fallen giant of the game, he failed to make an impression. Still just 30 years of age, he appears damaged goods, although coaches and punters alike cannot quite pinpoint exactly how or where the damage was done.
Atlético Madrid and their fans could care less. On Sunday, he was given a hero’s welcome following his loan move from the Italian club. Over 40,000 fans turned out just to watch him do a few keepy-uppies. 2,000 of them bought a new Torres shirt – a club record. However you may feel about the Spaniard, it is pretty obvious what they feel: elation. Their boy is home.
If you have not been swept up in the romance of a returning son, go immediately to hug a kitten to thaw your ice-cold heart. There is one moment that stands out: skip to 1min52sec, where Torres embraces an old man, just before he goes out to greet the crowd. “Here is the master,” Torres says, with no explanation.
That ‘master’ is Manuel Briñas, the man who discovered Torres. Their reunion is not a moment that is scripted, or faked – their is real emotion, a mutual love and respect. Plucking the 10-year-old out of obscurity in 1995, Atlético’s then-academy coach Briñas nurtured the young striker, batting away circling scouts from Real Madrid and Arsenal, until Torres made his first-team debut aged 17.
Now 30-years-old, a lot has changed. For starters he is no longer El Niño – he has long renounced that nickname, claiming it was given to him “because nobody knew my name” – tonight he will wear No19 on his back, perhaps a number chosen because it was the age at which he was made captain of his boyhood club.
There could hardly be a bigger game to make a second debut in than the Madrid derby, but Torres starts tonight as a lone striker, in place of the club’s existing No9 Mario Mandzukic, who is rested. That is all you really wanted to know wasn’t it?
Kick off: 8pm GMT
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