Well that should be a tasty second leg. Leverkusen were the better side over all and deserved their 1-0 win. You would expect Atlético to be much better at home, as they have been excellent there all season, but they will really need to improve on that performance if they have designs on progression. Thanks for all your correspondence! Bye!
Full-time: Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Atlético Madrid
And with that we bring the game to an end.
90 + 2 mins Gámez takes down Bellarabi in the middle of the park and is subsequently awarded a yellow card.
90 + 1 mins No more goals here but there has been another in London.
90 mins There will be three more minutes before we can all go home.
89 mins Atlético can finally take their free-kick. Griezmann chips it in and Mandzukic rises higher than the rest. Unfortunately for him, his header is also high and over the bar.
88 mins After the referee sorts it out, Torres, Kiessling and Castro are all awarded a yellow mark beside their name.
87 mins The goal-scoring hero, Calhanoglu, departs and is replaced by the fresh-faced Brandt. Meanwhile, Torres is on the ground and handbags are being swapped.
85 mins It’s annoying that keepers get free-kicks for their mistakes, isn’t it?
84 mins Atlético put one in the zone commonly known as the mixer. Leverkusen put it out for a throw. Gámez does his best Rory Delap impression and launches the ball into the six-yard box. Amidst a host of bodies, including some of his own team-mates and Godín, Leno fails to claim the ball. Lucky for him, the referee (wrongly) thinks he has been fouled and awards him a free-kick.
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81 mins “Leverkusen wouldn’t be known als Neverkusen if there wasn’t a good chance still of this tie ending 1-2,” says Oliver Driesen. “Just sayin’ so you romantics can’t complain thereafter.”
79 mins Kiessling comes on for the hard-working Drmic.
RED CARD TO TIAGO
76 mins Tiago nor none of his team-mates even bother to argue about this one. Bellarabi had the ball wide on the right and was going nowhere. So Tiago decided to go in late and absolutely clatter the winger, thus earning himself a second yellow and an early bath.
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DISALLOWED GOAL!
75 mins Another corner to Atlético and another good chance for Torres. This time Wendell nods the ball past his own keeper from the corner and Torres nods it over the line. The striker is about ti turn and celebrate until the assistant referee rules that the ball went out from the corner before coming back in. Replays show said assistant referee to be wrong. Very wrong.
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73 mins Gabi takes Atlético’s first corner for a while. It is headed clear but pumped back in soon enough. It has some hang time but soon lands at the feet of Torres. From a few yards out he hits it against Leno when he should’ve scored.
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71 mins .. and smashes it along the ground, thorough the wall and towards the goal. But Moyà gets his body behind it and saves well.
70 mins Torres’ first act is give away a foul, wide on the right. It is sent towards the D and the head of Rolfes but it comes to nothing. Moments later, Tiago gives away another one. This time it is right in the middle of the pitch about 35 yards out from the Atlético goal. Calhanoglu steps up ...
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68 mins And we all know what happened at Vigo.
Simeone admits after Vigo he got set-up wrong in playing Torres, Mandzukic & Griezmann. Now has all 3 plus R. Garcia on. Strange
— Kieran Canning (@KieranCanning) February 25, 2015
67 mins Atlético clip the ball into the box. Godín tries to get to it but he is completely out-muscled by Papadopoulos and Leno comes out to collect it and keep things calm. Bender, meanwhile, has been replaced by Rolfes.
66 mins “In my formative years,” reminisces Matt Dony, “while laughably ‘self-employed’, I spent a great deal of time playing Pro Evo Soccer 2 with a mate. Always World All-Stars, always looking for Batistuta (Power 9, Accuracy 9), because he would shoot like Calhonoglu did there. There is nothing, nothing as satisfying as seeing a ball hit that hard.”
64 mins On comes Torres to save the day. Off goes Turan.
62 mins Bender protests too hard over a challenge and now he is on a yellow card.
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60 mins Godín is penalised with a yellow card for a foul on Bender. He was late and high and nowhere near the ball so he deserves it. He will miss the return leg. The free-kick is in a dangerous spot and Bender lines it up. They try a move from a training ground but it is over-elaborate and Atlético clear it.
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58 mins After that goal, Wendell picked up a yellow card for a foul on Mandzukic. The subsequent free-kick was sent into the Leverkusen box and there were weak claims for a penalty but the replays show the referee was correct to wave said claims away.
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Atlético had been putting the pressure on the Leverkusen defence but the Germans broke with speed. Bellarabi got the ball on the edge of the area just to the right. Calhanoglu ran behind him and Bellarabi, after cutting inside, just nonchalantly back-heeled the ball into his path. Calhanoglu took one touch and then from an exceedingly tight angle he rocketed the ball past Moyà and into the goal.
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GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Atlético Madrid (Calhanoglu)
Oh wow! This is great.
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55 mins There is nothing happening. Well there is something happening but it not noteworthy enough to be typing about. No, wait here is something ...
53 mins There may be no goals here but there has been another in north London. And guess what? It ain’t gone to Arsenal.
51 mins Juanfran with a throw deep in Leverkusen territory. This could be a decent place from which to launch a decent attack but the Germans are sharp in the tackle and push them back. It eventually comes to Raúl García at the half-way line. He takes a step or two and notices Leno off his line. He tries. He fails.
49 mins Leno has been very good so far, by the way. He oozes confidence, has a good presence, can save a shot (a crucial skill for a keeper these days) and communicates well with his defence. And he is still only 22. Needs to work on his passing a bit though.
47 mins Leverkusen have come out in the same way they did for the first one, with plenty of aggression. In fact, a little too much aggression. Spahic has just put the front of his head to the back of Mandzukic’s head and Atlético have a free-kick, near the corner of the box on the right. Can they do something with this? Eh, no. Leno claims it cleanly.
45 mins And we are back. Mr Kralovec counts the player, blows his whistle and it is off we go.
Half-time: Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Atlético Madrid
And that’s your lot for now.
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45 +2 mins A looped ball to the back post finds Mandzukic. His shot is blocked by Hilbert and goes out for a corner. That comes across but Leno claws it away. However, the ball stays in the box and comes to Tiago amidst a lot of confusion. He shoots for goal through a crowded box, meaning Leno only sees it late. Despite this, he pulls off a magnificent diving save to keep the scores level.
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45 mins Wendell goes down in the box. He wants a penalty. He gets a corner. (It was a perfect tackle from Juanfran). The corner flies across the face of the goal and if it had been touched by a Leverkusen player, they would have been going into the break one ahead.
43 mins Just before that free-kick was taken, Simeone decided that Saúl Ñíguez could no longer compete and so he swapped him for Raúl García.
41 mins Spahic and Bellarabi combine to re-introduce Mandzukic to the turf. Both are lucky to get away without a card. The subsequent free-kick is whipped into the Leverkusen box but nothing comes of it.
39 mins There has been a goal elsewhere. And there has nearly been a goal here too. A shot from outside the Leverkusen box was blocked but landed at the feet of Turan. He scooped it over Leno and Griezmann rose to head it in from 2 yards out but the ball had too much hang-time just before he did so and that allowed Leno time to recover and slap the ball off his head.
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37 mins Siqueira has been hauled off and replaced by Gámez. He didn’t look injured so you have to assume it was a tactical switch.
35 mins Speaking of aggression. Papadopoulos has just been booked for bundling Mandzukic to the ground.
33 mins It has to be said. Leverkusen have been the much better side so far. They are more aggressive, they are more motivated, they are closing down Atlético (and particularly Turan) with speed; they are just lacking a killer touch up front. Atlético, by contrast, look a bit lackadaisical.
31 mins Calhanoglu walks over and positions the ball for a free-kick. This one is taken short and is a move straight off the training ground. It ends with Bender’s shot being blocked by Drmic. Roger Schmidt and Diego Simeone, meanwhile, are exchanging pleasantries on the sideline.
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29 mins Saying that, he has just had a decent strike land on the wrong side of the post and does look like he is moving a bit more freely. Back to your bench Raúl!
27 mins A few moments ago, Bellarabi was penalised for getting too industrial on Saúl Ñíguez. The young Spaniard is looking a bit stiff since then and might need to be changed. Raúl García is warming up.
25 mins Oh! My! Stars! From 30 yards out, Spahic saw a gap appear and he walloped one towards goal. Moyà was beaten but the crossbar was not.
23 mins While Atlético were running back and defending that corner, Tiago was booked for an off-the-ball challenge.
21 mins A corner to Atlético. Griezmann delivers. Leno collides with his own defender. The ball is sent up in the air. Leverkusen wrestle for possession and win. And it’s off they go up the other end. Son Heung-Min has the ball and he sends Bellarabi galloping along, while continuing his own run. Bellarabi tries to return the one two but his pass is weak and Atlético can breath again.
19 mins Leverkusen get to passing it around. Hurrah! go the home fans (in German , of course). It eventually leads to Hilbert doing one over Siqueira’s head and Hilbert almost being put through on goal.
17 mins After some decent pressure on the Atlético defence from Leverkusen, Castro gives away a free-kick. Atlético move the ball down the right and some Turan trickery wins a corner for them (though it should have been a goalkick.) They take it short and Leverkusen soon rid their half of any unwanted danger.
15 mins Michael Ballack update. He is chillin’ with Jupp Heynckes.
14 mins Turan has just got a ball where a ball should never go. Ouch!
13 mins Bender win a corner for Leverkusen. Calhanoglu takes it and aims for the centre of the box. Moyà comes and totally flaps at it. The ball bounces to Bellarabi – I think – and he rebounces it into the turf and into the box. Near the penalty spot, Spahic wraps his foot around it and looks to have given his side the lead until Mandzukic comes to the rescue, whacking the ball away.
11 mins The noise in Germany is phenomenal. Unlike the football, which is a bit scrappy right about now.
9 mins Meanwhile, down the other end. Griezmann wins a free-kick after being clipped by Bellarabi. It is delievered into the box. It dings and dongs its way around the 18-yard area before being lofted to the back post and the head of Griezmann. In acres of space, he rushes his header and puts is well wide of goal.
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7 mins Bayer attack in numbers, there is three, four, five of them near the Atlético box but it is Bender with the ball at his feet. He chooses to shoot but he drags his effort to the right of Moyà’s post.
6 mins “Evening Ian,” cheers Simon McMahon. “Looking forward to tonight’s matches, but it’s all a bit drawn out isn’t it? This first knockout round already seems to have been going for weeks. When’s the second leg - November 2022?” It is rather silly drawing it out like this isn’t it? Means that any pent-up aggression and/or beef from one game has petered out by the next one comes and makes games a touch less exciting.
4 mins Bayer get a throw wide on the right. Hilbert sends it down the line but Bellarabi can do nothing with it but offer Atlético a throw. They try to work that forward up the line but it all comes to nothing. Ho hum.
2 mins Michael Ballack is in the house. Nothing of note to tell you about just yet though Bayer Leverkusen have started with plenty of pace and aggression, snapping into tackles and not letting Atlético have too much time on the ball.
1 min Off we go then. Bayer Leverkusen are coloured in blood red. Atlético are in their snow white/off grey. It is the home side that get us going and they are playing left to right for these first 45 minutes.
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OK, OK, it’s almost time to go. The players have emerged from their respective dressing-rooms and out onto the pitch. Shouts echo around the tunnel and then there is a roar from the crowd before that silly anthem interrupts the atmosphere. The lads and ladies in the middle shake the ball-shaped flag and all involved try to look serious when the cameras get all up in the grille. It’s almost time to go.
Hello! Anyone out there? Gazprom?
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The fans are ready ...
... the balls are ready ...
... the pitch is ready ...
... the players are ready (to dance the night away)!
Over on the TV, they are showing that 2011 final between Manchester United and Barcelona. You know the one where the Catalans carved United apart and Messi kicked the hoarding when celebrating a goal. There is a lot to be said for kicking the hoarding when celebrating.
Team news
Bayer Leverkusen: Leno, Hilbert, K. Papadopoulos, Spahic*, Wendell; Bender, Castro; Bellarabi; Calhanoglu, Son Heung-Min; Drmic. Subs: Kresic, Boenisch*, Donati, Reinartz, Rolfes, Kiessling, Brandt.
Atlético Madrid: Moyà, Juanfran, Miranda, Godín*, Siqueira; Tiago, Gabi*; Turan, Saúl Ñíguez, Griezmann; Mandzukic. Subs: Oblak, Gámez, Giménez, Mario Suárez, Raúl García, Cani, Torres.
Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)
*Players on a yellow card
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Good evening and welcome
Last Saturday was a bright cold day in south Germany and the clocks were striking 84. Thanks to a simple spill from the Augsburg goalkeeper, Marwin Hitz, Josip Drmic was able to poke Bayer Leverkusen into an early lead. Lucky sods. But they failed to make the most of it. Silly sods. Come the restart, come the the fightback. Caiuby’s smart touch and close-range clipped finish saw die Fuggerstädter draw level 14 minutes into the second half. Game on. Skip forward to the aforementioned 84th minute. Game over. Stefan Reinartz’s family looked on and smiled with immense pride as the Leverkusen midfielder, draped in ceremonial garb and over-sized hat, stepped up to the simple stage and read out his carefully-worded speech in honour of being awarded the freedom of Impuls Arena. Speech done and clothes discarded, Reinartz did one with his weaker foot from all of 30 yards. It was helped past Hitz thanks to a touch from Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker’s backside. Lucky sods once again. Almost. Augsburg won a late corner. Markus Weinzierl game him the nod. Hitz went up. Cause confusion and all that. He did better than that. He spun and finished (with aplomb!) at the near post. Queue pandemonium.
There is no shame in drawing away to Augsburg. They are one of the form sides in the Bundesliga right now. But throwing away a lead with six minutes to go to a goal from a goalkeeper who is playing his first game since November (and looking more off the pace than Mr Blobby chasing Usain Bolt) and who has previously come as close to scoring as you have to becoming Superman/Superwoman, well, that ain’t cool. And it’s hardly ideal preparation for a side coming into a crucial Champions League tie against last season’s finalists now, is it? Roger Schmidt described it as “extremely disappointing” but those words could also be applied to his side’s league form since the start of December. Nine played, two wins, three defeats and four draws. Before the winter break, they sat in third place, 17 points behind Bayern Munich; now they sit in sixth, 22 points behind Bayern Munich. Yuugh! Leverkusen’s centre-back Ömer Toprak was just as candid as his manager in his assessment of how the team is coming along right now: “We have to do everything better. We need to score more goals and concede fewer.”
They’ll be licking their lips in Madrid. Or at least, the Atlético side of Madrid. Unlike Leverkusen, they had a comfortable weekend win. Diego Simeone’ side were three ahead after 29 minutes against Almería and that was the game done for. It meant the Atlético manger could concentrate on this game and call the star-striking duo of Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic to the bench for a well-earned rest. Those two have been combining wonderfully of late. On Saturday it was Mandzukic who scored the first; it was Mandzukic’s quick-thinking, well-paced pass that played in Griezmann for the second; and it was Mandzukic’s body-twisting header that set up Griezmann for the third. Movement, might, power, precision and more goals than you can shake a stick at, they shall be very hard for Leverkusen to contain for 90 minutes.
The form of those two, as well as a lot of hard work (have you ever seen a team work harder?), are part of the reason why Atlético have pocketed 15 points from a possible 18 with the only blip coming at blipping Celta Vigo of all places). They should be clear candidates to win this game and to progress in the competition but Tiago Mendes ain’t having it. “We are not favourites nor should we be. We have a good example of what can be done from last season but we do not look beyond the next match. It will be difficult for us, Leverkusen are a team that attack well with plenty of players that can find the back of the net. We remember how we lost last season and of course we would love to be in the final again, but we’ll take it game by game ... They have quality players and are dangerous from set pieces, they attack in numbers and they are dangerous.”
He is just being nice and polite like the well-raised man that he is. He knows his side are onto a good thing here. Team news and 90 minutes of football that will end in an Atlético win are on their way. Stayed tuned for all that boi!
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