This match was the pick of the UCL Round of 16, 1st matchday and it delivered the goods. The match was played in front of an electric crowd in the surreal Santiago Bernabeu.
The crowd was ecstatic, the moment was special and the stage was Champions League Round of 16.
Road to Round of 16
Both teams have had a contrasting road till here. Atletico were comfortable at the 5th position and enjoyed automatic qualification while Real had to struggle through play off knockouts as they finished at 11th position.
Real Madrid beat Manchester City in the Play offs to set up the round of 16 clash with their city rivals.
The Los Blancos might have had a tougher route to the RO16 but the club has a different stature in this competition. Nobody knows better than Atletico Madrid what the Los Blancos can do.
El Cholo‘s Atletico has also seen a redemption arc this season as they have revamped their lineups with warriors all over the pitch.
Standing at 2nd and 3rd position in the La Liga, the teams maintain their neighbourly status on the points table also.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 1st leg
Champions league night at the Santiago Bernabeu tend to last a bit longer for the opposition than the 90 minutes. The stadium draped in white and gold, the fans singing “Hala Madrid y nada más“, the home crowd becomes the gigantic 12th player which makes the opposition feel small.
1st Half
The match started with Real Madrid playing with a certain swagger. The Bernabeu aura beaming in players and it felt like Los Blancos had started the match with a lead of 1-0.
Rodrygo soon obliged. A perfect pass from Valverde saw Rodrygo through on the right wing, one step cut inside, to his left and bang. Atletico’s wall shattered, Oblak’s hands out of reach and Rodrygo bragging with a “You can’t see me, Fellas.”
Los Blancos took the lead in the 4th minute and it seemed Real would just run through Atletico but El Cholo had different plans.
After the 10th minute mark, Atletico started spending time on the ball with Antoine Griezmann dropping deep and helping in buildup. This was pivotal for the game, as Atletico grew in confidence and on the pitch with each passing minute.
This continued possession resulted in a Julian Alvarez wonder goal from a very tight angle. The Argentine restored parity in the 32nd minute and it was once again all to play for.
Atletico had managed damage control and Simeone’s men looked keen on denting Ancelotti’s plan. The 1st half also had two halfs with Real dominating the 1st and Atletico being better for the 2nd.
2nd Half
The 2nd half also started slow but in the 55th minute Brahim restored Real’s lead as he danced in the Atletico penalty area around Gimenez and Barrios who couldn’t keep up with his quick feet as the Moroccan international passed it into the far corner after dropping shoulders and opponents.
After this goal, Atletico bunkered down and decided to sit deep as they did not want to give any more goals away which meant the game got predictable. Ancelotti also introduced the Croatian maestro Modric to get some quality on the field but the ball kept going from left to right as Atletico sat deep and defended really well.
The next big chance came in the starting of the stoppage time when Mbappe passed to Vini for a tap-in from the front of the goal but the accuracy of the pass was disappointing as it was cut short by Marcos Llorente at the very last moment.
2nd Leg in Wanda Metropolitano
The 1st leg might have ended 2-1 but there is a lot to happen in the tie as the 2nd leg will be played in the Metropolitano. Next week, this match will be decided and only one team will advance into the quarter finals of the Champions League.
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