These really are the best days of their lives. Atlético Madrid are in the semi-final of the European Cup for the first time in 40 years and it is no fluke. How appropriate that the man who scored the goal that took them there should be called Koke Resurrección. Atlético were Spain’s losers, remember. They called them El Pupas, the jinxed one. No more. A manager may never have had such an immediate and complete an impact on a club as Diego Simeone has at the Vicente Calderón.
Football’s Robin Hood, as their midfielder Tiago called them, continue to rob from the rich. Here, they took from Barcelona, who will be absent from a Champions League semi-final for the first time in seven years. And victory, met with a roar that almost made your ears bleed, was entirely deserved.
The only surprise was that Barcelona lasted as long as they did. A goal down after six minutes, they were still a goal down after 90. They had chances, sure, but not as many as their hosts, who left the posts shuddering three times. Barça, too, will shudder when they look back on this.
“Win, win, win and win again” declared the mosaic that stretched across one side of a packed stadium. The phrase honoured its author, Luis Aragonés, yet Atlético did not necessarily need to win. A draw could take them through, if it finished 0-0. 1-1 would take this game to extra time and penalties.
That seemed plausible too: four times these teams had met this season; four times they had drawn; twice it had finished 1-1, twice it had finished 0-0. It was natural to expect something similar here, all the more so as the top scorer Diego Costa was injured and not even on the bench, a fact that makes the feat all the more fantastic. In his absence Atlético, who were also without Arda Turan, started with Adrián and David Villa up front. Adrián had scored just twice this season and had not even made the squad in five of the last six games. But here, his contribution was immense right from the start. And far from seek the draw, Atlético tore into the visitors.
It all started with Raúl García shooting over from a similar position to the one from which Diego had scored in the first leg. Then Adrián smashed a shot against the bar. The ball dropped to David Villa whose cross reached Adrián and he knocked it down for Koke, who was free near the other post to score. The roar was deafening and the clock showed just six minutes.
It would be tempting to say that Barcelona were soon hanging on for dear life, except that they were barely hanging on at all. It was all they could do to hope that the storm would pass. They looked terrified and overrun, a team with virtually no defence and a goalkeeper who frightened them almost as much as the forwards running beyond them.
So much for waiting; Atlético sensed the weakness and stepped forward, pushing Barcelona on to the ropes and pounding at them. The amazing thing was that they did not land the knockout blow. Villa turned and shot over, José Pinto was nearly caught by Adrián and twice more they hit posts inside 20 minutes. Both times it was Villa, once from the left, once from the right. The score may have been different but this was every bit as much of a hammering as last season’s semi-final against Bayern Munich had been.
Just before the half-time whistle Cesc Fábregas went down in the area, his legs seemingly swept from under him by Diego Godín right in front of the touchline official. Howard Webb did not give a penalty, just as he had not when Adrián had tumbled at the other end minutes before.
Barcelona complained, but looking at the scoreboard they could have few complaints; that they were only losing 1-0 was the best thing they could say about the opening 45 minutes. There had been a run from Neymar, followed by a wonderful nutmeg, and a Lionel Messi header wide while Andrés Iniesta had taken responsibility and sought to take control but survival was as much as they could have expected. More, in fact.
If Barcelona had been given a second chance, they appeared determined to take it. The Catalan side began the second half creating the best chance of the night thus far. Xavi and Messi combined and the former played in Neymar. Thibaut Courtois was quickly to him and the loose ball dropped to Messi, who was swiftly suffocated by a crowd of Atlético defenders. A moment later, the ball dropped to Xavi five yards out, with Courtois looking uncertain for once. Leaning back, Xavi scooped his shot over the bar. He had the next chance, too, and it was a good one. But he headed wide from Dani Alves’s cross.
Gerardo Martino made his first change just after, taking off Fábregas, who did not even wait to see the board before departing: he knew his number was up. Alexis Sánchez went on but instead the opportunity fell to the man who followed him on to the pitch a minute later and the chances fell the way of the home side, dashing forward when tiredness permitted and into the space Barcelona left them. Adrián left to a standing ovation and Diego came on – he soon escaped down the right and drew a sharp save from Pinto at the near post.
Next the Barcelona goalkeeper made another save when Atlético broke free on the other side. Gabi and Villa raced through, Villa running to make space. Gabi tried to slot the ball into the far corner from around 10 yards but Pinto stuck out a foot. A minute later, Villa seemed to be barged over in the Barcelona area but Webb again said “no”; as bodies tumbled all around the follow-up shot was blocked.
Neymar put a diving header wide from Alexis’s cross. But this was desperate now. Barcelona lacked imagination, still less inspiration. And when the best chance fell in the final minute, it fell to Cristian Rodríguez, an Atlético substitute. Pinto saved the chance but no one saved Barcelona. Atlético’s incredible story continues.
source: theguardian.com
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 