Real Madrid absorbs Atletico’s best shot in Calderon farewell, survives to reach UCL final
Real Madrid will play Juventus in the Champions League final after battling past Atletico in their semifinal derby. Already 3-0 up from the first leg after Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick, Real lost 2-1 on the day but went through 4-2 on aggregate.
Atletico got off to the perfect start, with a Saul Niguez header and an Antoine Griezmann penalty giving the club a 2-0 lead within 16 minutes. But Zinedine Zidane’s side battled back to score a vital away goal through Isco on the stroke of halftime.
It will be Real Madrid’s third final in four seasons as it seeks to become the first team since AC Milan in 1990 successfully to defend the trophy. It also sets out to pad its record of European titles and become the first to win 12.
Real Madrid beat Juventus in the 1998 final, with a solitary goal from Predrag Mijatovic securing its seventh European championship.
Here are three thoughts on Real Madrid’s semifinal triumph:
Atletico’s dream start made the impossible seem possible
From the opening whistle, it was clear this was a far livelier Atletico than we saw in the first leg. Perhaps Real Madrid was a little complacent, seeing the tie as effectively done. The warning was there after six minutes as Koke met a Yannick Carrasco cross at the near post to draw a fine save from Keylor Navas. But it wasn’t heeded. With 12 minutes gone, Saul got above Ronaldo to power in a Koke corner. Navas got a hand to his header but couldn’t keep it out.
Four minutes later it was 2-0. Raphael Varane’s challenge on Fernando Torres was clumsy, although he may not have gone down had he not trodden on the ball–which may have been a result of the challenge. Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir decided that was enough to give the penalty, though. Atletico had missed eight of 13 this season, and Griezmann had had missed in the final against Navas last year. He slipped as he took it and his penalty was poor, struck at average pace straight down the middle, but Navas was leaning back as the ball reached him and he ended up pushing the ball into the roof of the…
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