MX23RW : Saturday, November 23 13:31:26| >> :120:53478:53478:
[monks data]
Atletico Madrid logo
Champions League | Semi-Finals
Apr 27, 2016 at 7.45pm UK
 
Bayern logo

1-0

Niguez (11')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Live Commentary: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bayern Munich - as it happened

Relive Atletico Madrid's 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich at the Vicente Calderon as the hosts gain a slender advantage in their Champions League semi-final tie.
2

Atletico Madrid gained a 1-0 first-leg advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich this evening.

The hosts took the lead after just 11 minutes at the Vicente Calderon when Saul Niguez waltzed his way past three defenders before applying the finishing touch to a fine solo effort.

Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half, with David Alaba's thunderbolt cannoning back off the crossbar before Fernando Torres struck the post, but Atletico held out to take a lead into the second leg in Munich next week.

Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.


Sort:
Newest
Oldest
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. Both teams have recent experience of getting to this stage of the competition and beyond, and the contrast in styles of both managers makes it a very intriguing tie. Last night's other semi-final first leg ended goalless, but hopefully we will see more joy in front of goal tonight! We have a bumper two-hour build-up to mark this special occasion, so let's get started with a look at the home side!

Atletico Madrid will come into this match full of confidence as they continue to challenge on a couple of fronts this season, with Diego Simeone's side potentially on course to better their memorable 2013-14 campaign. The fact that they have sustained their quality in La Liga since winning the title proves that they are very much among Europe's elite at the moment, and their victory over Barcelona in the last round was just another feather in the cap for Simeone. He has worked wonders for the team and they are now a side that no team will want to face.

Atletico probably caught Barca at a good time, with Luis Enrique's side going through a shock spell of defeats, but there should be nothing taken away from what Simeone's side did. They took the lead at the Camp Nou in the first leg and, but for a Fernando Torres red card, things could have been even more comfortable over the two legs. Barcelona still only manage to build a one-goal first-leg lead despite their numerical advantage, and a second-leg brace from Antoine Griezmann here at the Vicente Calderon was enough to send them through. Many people had tipped Barca to collect a second consecutive treble, with their current crop being lauded by some as the greatest team of all time, but Atletico managed to pull off a memorable victory over their La Liga rivals.

They could still grab success on the domestic front too, with only goal difference keeping them off top spot. Admittedly, there is a big gap in that goal difference, with Atletico having scored 59 goals this season compared to 104 for Real Madrid and 102 for Barcelona, but should there be any further slip-ups from Barca then Atletico are well poised to pounce. At one stage it looked as though the title was beyond Simeone's side, but as Barcelona began to falter, Atleti just kept winning and it is now set up to be a thrilling end to the campaign. Just one point separates the top three with three games remaining.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL MEMORIES: Throughout tonight's build-up I will be looking back at some of the past semi-finals that these two sides have been involved in, and as we've started with Atletico it only makes sense that we go for their most recent success at this stage. That came just two years ago when they took on Chelsea in the last four, pulling off an impressive 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge having drawn the first leg 0-0.


All of Atletico's success under Simeone has been built on a rock-solid defence, and there are all sorts of statistics that prove just how hard a team they are to score against, yet alone beat. The fact that Messi, Suarez and Neymar didn't manage it in the second leg of the last round should be enough, but they also boast comfortably the best defensive record in La Liga, conceding only 16 goals in 35 games. That is 13 goals fewer than Barcelona, who have the next best record, which goes some way to making up to their comparative lack of goals at the other end of the pitch.

They have kept 11 clean sheets in their last 16 outings in all competitions, conceding just seven times in that run. That includes an ongoing run of four clean sheets in a row since a 3-1 victory over Espanyol on April 9. Things are even more impressive at home, where Atletico have conceded just once in their last eight matches, keeping seven clean sheets in that time. Throughout the entire campaign they have managed to keep the opposition at bay in 17 of their 25 games here, and on just three occasions has a visiting team managed to score more than once.

That all bodes very well for prevented Bayern Munich from running away with the tie with a few goals tonight, and it is unlikely that Atletico will find themselves out of the equation when they travel to the Allianz Arena for the return leg next Tuesday. In the Champions League they have been particularly stingy in front of their own fans, with an incredible run of 11 clean sheets in their last 12 home outings in this competition and 12 in their last 14. Benfica are the only visiting team to score here since Kaka netted in a 4-1 win over AC Milan back in 2014. It really is a fortress.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL MEMORIES: Detractors of Atletico and Simeone will say that they are spoilers, and while that may be true to an extent, they are still capable of playing good football. They are certainly not as bad as the crop on 1974, who took on Celtic in a notorious semi-final. Below is a clip from the first leg, which ended goalless before Atletico won the reverse 2-0 to advance to their first European Cup final. Look out for some of the worst challenges you will have ever seen at this level, in particular on poor Jinky Johnstone, as well as a brawl at the end of the match.


This is Atletico's fifth appearance in the semi-finals of this competition overall, and their second in the last two seasons, but it has not all been entirely straightforward for them in this year's competition. They were beaten at home by Benfica early in the group stages and, while they ended up finishing top of Group C, there weren't many signs at that point that they would go all the way. That was again the case in the last 16, when they were held to a goalless draw in both legs against PSV Eindhoven and in the end had to rely on penalties to get through to the quarter-finals, where they lost the first leg against Barca.

All in all, though it is hard to criticise their form at all this season. They come into tonight's match off the back of five consecutive wins in all competitions, since that first-leg defeat to Barcelona at the start of the month. Looking further back, Atletico have only lost two of their last 17 outings in all competitions - a run that includes 11 wins if you count their penalty shootout victory over PSV in the last 16. The latest of those came on Saturday when they beat Malaga 1-0 through an Angel Correa goal - their 10th win by that scoreline this season.

Just like their clean sheet record, their home form is particularly impressive, which makes it all the more important for them to pick up a result this evening. They have won their last seven home games in all competitions including that shootout win against PSV, while their unbeaten record now stretches to nine games, with eight wins and a draw. Their last home loss, which came in January, is their only defeat at the Vicente Calderon in their last 21 matches in front of their own fans. That includes games against Barcelona and Real Madrid, so Atletico won't be daunted by their visitors this evening.

In the Champions League Atleti have lost just one of their 16 home games under Diego Simeone since returning to Europe's elite after a few years out. Twelve of those matches have ended in victories, while in all European competition they have won 24 of their last 29 continental outings at the Vicente Calderon. There have been only two defeats in that time too, with Benfica earlier this season and Rubin Kazan in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup three years ago the only visiting teams to have come away with wins.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL MEMORIES: Atletico's record in the semi-finals of Europe's top-tier competition is evenly split at two wins and two defeats, but their last defeat came way back in 1971. Indeed, both of their semi-finals losses have come against some of the greatest teams in history, falling to the all-conquering Real Madrid side of the early 1960s and then Johan Cruyff legendary Ajax team of 1971. That latter game saw Ajax win 3-0 in Spain in the second leg, with this strike from Piet Keizer the pick of the goals.


With Barcelona's exit from the competition in the last round, Bayern have been installed as the new favourites to lift the trophy this season, but Pep Guardiola will be under no illusions of the task that faces his side over these two legs. He knows Atletico well from his time with Barcelona, and having been knocked out at this stage of the competition by Spanish sides in each of the past two seasons, he will be wary of the threat posed by Atletico. He faces a different test this time around, with Atletico such a tough team to break down compared to their past losses against Real Madrid and Barcelona seeing Bayern simply cut open.

It is now the last chance for Guardiola to lift the trophy with Bayern, and he himself has admitted that his spell at the club will be judged on his record in this competition. His own personal record is already exemplary having lifted it twice with Barcelona, but having taken over at Bayern when the club were European champions, it would be something of a black mark on his impeccable resume should be fail to steer Bayern back to the top of European football. He has reached the semi-finals every year he has been at Bayern, and will be desperate to get to the final this time around ahead of his summer move to Manchester City.

To not do so would undoubtedly be a disappointment, but on the flip side there could be the perfect exit for Guardiola - just as there was for his predecessor Jupp Heynckes. Bayern are still very much on course for the treble this term, having reached the final of the DFB-Pokal, where they will play Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund are also their closest challengers in the Bundesliga, although the title race is now all but over after Bayern moved to within one win of the title at the weekend. A 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday saw them maintain their seven-point gap over Dortmund with just three games remaining, leaving Bayern on the brink of a fourth straight title.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL MEMORIES: Bayern have been to this stage of the competition many times before, and it has often been against Spanish opposition too. They have faced Atletico's city rivals Real Madrid no fewer than five times in the semi-finals, but perhaps their greatest moment at this stage of the competition came three years ago when they hammered a great Barcelona team 7-0 on aggregate. Four of those goals came in the first leg below.


Somewhat strangely for Bayern, they aren't actually the highest scorers in the Bundesliga this season, but like Atletico their defensive record has been impeccable. Indeed, they boast the best defensive record in the top five leagues of European football, although Atletico will argue that the opposition they face is in general of a higher standard. In all competitions, though, Bayern have kept clean sheets in eight of their last 11 games, including in each of their last three. Away from home their record is impressive too, with eight clean sheets from their last 13.

Bayern will be as confident as any team of being able to break Atletico down too. They may not be the highest scorers in the Bundesliga, but they are in the Champions League having found the back of the net 28 times - two times as many as Atletico have managed. They have also failed to score in just four games all season, only one of which has ended in defeat. However, the minor concern going into tonight's match is that all of those blanks have come away from home, and if Atletico can keep a clean sheet and nick a goal at the other end then it will be advantage them heading into the second leg.

TEAM NEWS! The team news is in ladies and gentlemen, and there are one or two interesting calls...

ATLETICO STARTING XI: Oblak; Juanfran, Gimenez, Savic, Filipe Luis; Gabi, Augusto, Koke, Saul; Griezmann, Torres

BAYERN MUNICH STARTING XI: Neuer; Lahm, Martinez, Alaba, Bernat; Alonso, Vidal, Thiago; Costa, Coman; Lewandowski
Subs: Ulreich, Tasci, Benatia, Ribery, Gotze, Muller, Kimmich


The big news comes from the Bayern Munich camp as Thomas Muller is left on the bench for the visitors today despite being in career-best goalscoring form this season. He and Lewandowski have contributed 46 league goals between them this season, but Lewandowski was left out for the second leg of the last round and Muller is the man to miss out tonight. The young and exciting Kingsley Coman replaces him. Always expect the unexpected with Guardiola...

There is a place for Lewandowski tonight, though, after the striker ended a six-match goal drought recently with a brace. That mini slump aside, he has been in excellent form all season, netting 46 goals in 53 appearances for club and country. Atletico are such an organised team that Bayern's best hope of getting a goal tonight could be via the aerial route, which is perhaps why Muller has been left on the bench and Guardiola has selected two out-and-out wingers in Coman and Douglas Costa. Should that not work then there is no shortage of ammo on the bench for the visitors, with Ribery and Gotze among the other big names to miss out.

One of Bayern's strengths is how well they spread the ball from side to side in order to create space for their dangerous attackers, which once again feeds into the argument for extra width in tonight's match. Alonso is a master at spreading those diagonal passes and ran the game against Benfica in the last Champions League outing having been left out of the first leg. He is back in the side again tonight alongside Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal, the latter of whom is in fine scoring form with four goals in his last six goals - including in both legs of the win over Benfica.

There is another surprise at the back as Kimmich, who is regarded as one of the brightest talents in Europe at the moment, is left on the bench. Instead, Guardiola has opted for more experience as Martinez and Alaba make up the central pairing, with Bernat coming in at left-back. Indeed, it is a fully-changed back four from the weekend, with captain Philipp Lahm also return on the right side of the defence having been rested during the win over Hertha. Neuer, as ever, continues in goal.

As for Atletico, they don't spring many surprises as Simeone names pretty much a first-choice team from the players available to him. That includes a start for Fernando Torres, who has scored five goals in his last six games having seen a run of five in a row come to an end at the weekend. He was suspended for the second leg against Barcelona having scored and then been sent off at the Camp Nou, but returns tonight and leads the Atletico line.

Griezmann will be there in support of Torres, and he too offers a big goal threat for Atletico. He has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season, which is an impressive record considering that Atletico as a team aren't exactly the biggest scorers themselves. He crucially got both goals in the second leg against Barcelona in the quarter-finals, putting his side ahead on the away goals rule before adding another late on from the penalty spot.

In midfield, Augusto Fernandez replaces Yannick Carrasco, who was a doubt for the match and misses out entirely having failed to prove his fitness in time. Gabi, Koke and Saul all retain their places, however, ensuring that it is the same midfield quartet that started the second leg against Barcelona earlier this month. Indeed, there are just two changes to that team, and both come at centre-back as the fit-again Gimenez and Savic come in at the heart of the defence.

It is not a first-choice centre-back partnership for Atletico, but Simeone is without Diego Godin after he suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury which also forced him to miss the weekend win over Malaga. Juanfran and Filipe Luis do retain their places on the flanks, though, while Jan Oblak remains in goal having enjoying a fine season between the sticks. His 22 clean sheets this season is already a club-record having overtaken Thibaut Courtois's tally of 20 from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL MEMORIES: A couple of years after Bayern demolition of Barca, the pair met again in the semi-finals with Guardiola now at the helm. Barca were in glorious form going into last season's clash, and sure enough they ran out convincing winners on their way to the treble, set up by a 3-0 victory in the first leg. Lionel Messi stole the show with a pair of great goals, the second of which was particularly special...


Bayern were always expected to make it to a fifth consecutive semi-final this term, but their route to this stage of the competition has not been entirely straightforward. They were dominant in their group stages, failing to win just one of their games and cruising to top spot ahead of Arsenal, Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb, but they have found things a lot more difficult in the knockout stages. In fairness to them, they were handed a tough draw against last season's runners-up Juventus in the last 16, only just managing to squeeze through via extra time in dramatic circumstances. Having let Juve back into the tie by squandering a two-goal lead in the first leg in Turin, Bayern then fell two behind themselves at the Allianz Arena. Muller netted a 91st-minute equaliser to rescue extra time, though, and Bayern went on to clinch a 4-2 win on the night and a 6-4 triumph on aggregate.

Their quarter-final clash against Benfica was expected to be more comfortable, but while Bayern didn't need extra time, the Portuguese outfit put up a valiant fight. They may have feared a rout when Bayern took the lead after just two minutes in the home first leg, but from that point on the Germans were frustrated and had to settle for that one-goal advantage going into the second leg. Benfica gave them a scare by taking the lead at the Stadium of Light, but goals from Vidal and Muller either side of half time gave Bayern a cushion, and a late equaliser for Benfica was not enough to pull off a shock.

While that result was enough for them to progress, their away form in the Champions League will be of concern for Guardiola. They have only won two of their last nine outings on the road in this competition, which is a surprisingly poor record for a side who are perennial contenders in the latter stages. They have drawn three and lost four of the other seven, with their two wins coming in the group stages this year against Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb. You have to go back more than two years since Bayern's last away win in the knockout stages, with Guardiola's side having draw four and lost three since a 2-0 win at Arsenal in the 2013-14 last 16.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL MEMORIES: As I've already mentioned, this is certainly not the first time that Bayern have faced a Madrid club in the semi-finals of this competition having come up against Real on five occasions. The most recent of those came a couple of years ago, but two years before that it was Bayern who progressed on penalties. The tie finished 3-3 on aggregate to take it to a shootout, when this skyward effort from Ramos proved to be decisive. Bayern went on to lose the final against Chelsea on home turf.


While Bayern's recent away record in this competition may be poor, their home record usually makes up for it, so a draw tonight will not be the worst result at all, particularly if they can grab an away goal too. They are unbeaten in their last seven games in this competition and have only lost one of their last 11, since the first leg of the semi-finals last season. That solitary defeat came away to Arsenal, when Bayern were well on course to finish top of their group anyway following a dreadful start to the campaign from the Gunners.

In all competitions their away form is a lot more impressive than looking solely at the Champions League too. You have to go all the way back to December 5 for their most recent defeat on the road - a run of 13 matches in all competitions that includes nine victories. Arsenal are the only other home team to win against a travelling Bayern this term, with the Germans having emerged victorious from 15 of their 22 away games.

PREDICTION: We're nearing kickoff at the Vicente Calderon, which means that it is time for a prediction! This is such a tough game to call, with Bayern capable of being so dangerous in attack by Atletico perhaps the one team in Europe capable of shutting them down completely. A goalless draw is not an unlikely result considering first legs are usually more cagey affairs anyway, but I can't bring myself to predict that after last night's stalemate, so I'm going for 1-1!

These two sides have met just twice before, and it is a fixture that will hold very fond memories for Bayern Munich. It came in the 1974 European Cup final, with the first leg ending 1-1 after Bayern scored a 120th-minute equaliser through Schwarzenbeck to rescue a replay and deny Atletico a first European Cup trophy. It was the first and only time that there had been a replay in the competition's final, and Bayern made short work of the Spaniards two days later as Hoeness and Muller both scored twice in a 4-0 victory. That saw Bayern lift the European Cup for a first time, sparking a run of three successes in a row in the competition. Bayern are now searching for their sixth title, while Atletico are still looking for their first.


Atletico Madrid will be buoyed by their more recent record against German opposition, though, having progressed from their last six such two-legged ties. The last German team to knock them out of European competition was Dynamo Dresden in the first round of the 1979-80 UEFA Cup, while they haven't been beaten at home by a Bundesliga outfit since Dortmund won here in 1996-97 - a run of five matches that includes four wins. Overall, they have won 11 of their 16 home games against German opposition have have progressed from 10 of their 14 two-legged ties, including three of four semi-finals.

As for Bayern, they have only won on two of their last 12 visits to Spain, drawing two and losing eight of those. That includes defeats in Spain in the first legs of the last two Champions League semi-finals, so the recent signs don't bode too well for the visitors tonight. Overall in Spain they have lost 12 and won six of their 23 visits, but home and away they have 23 wins and 14 defeats from 49 games.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Bayern get us underway for the first leg of this Champions League semi-final! Who will draw first blood?

There is a cracking atmosphere inside the Vicente Calderon tonight, as there always is. How will the Bayern players cope with it?

Neuer is the first called into action tonight, but it is a routine one for a keeper of his quality as he comfortable collects Saul's long-range strike.

This has been a good, lively start from Atletico, which is only serving to stoke up the atmosphere inside the stadium. The hosts have seen plenty of the ball in these opening exchanges.

SAVE! Neuer is called into action again here as Torres picks the ball up on the right flank and cuts inside. He is on the stretch when he gets his shot away, though, and his effort is rather tame in the end as Neuer collects.

Bayern just haven't got themselves going in the early stages of this match. They may have been there and done it all as a club, but this atmosphere would be intimidating for anyone and it appears that they are struggling with it a little.

GOAL! Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bayern Munich (Saul Niguez)

Atletico take the lead at the Vicente Calderon! They are such a good, organised team, but this is all about solo magic from Saul. He jinks in between three Bayern players with magnificent footwork before getting into the box, cutting inside past Alaba and then curling it in off the post. Superb goal.

OFF THE LINE! Almost an immediate response for Bayern! They push for the equaliser straight away and it is the in-form Vidal who comes close. They get to the byline down the left flank and a cross finds Vidal in the middle. He loops it towards the far corner, but Gimenez flies in to nod it over his own crossbar.

Oblak certainly isn't shy to come off his line! He comes racing out and just about beats Vidal to a cross, clattering into the midfielder in the process. He is back out again seconds later and once again just does enough.

Guardiola has not been happy with his side in this opening 15 minutes, but Bayern have responded well to going behind and are just beginning to settle a little now.

SHOT! Better from Bayern as they are able string a few passes together on the way forward. It eventually comes back to Alaba, who strikes a powerful effort towards goal that flies comfortably wide.

A lot of teams can be guilty of respecting Bayern a bit too much and giving them too much time on the ball, but Atletico certainly aren't doing that tonight. Nothing is easy for the visitors here.

Alonso gets a talking-to from Mark Clattenburg here for a late challenge on Filipe Luis. There is no card, which is the correct decision, although Alonso was very quick to apologise so might have felt that he was in a bit of trouble.

Bayern have seen more of the ball since the opening goal as Atletico now have a lead to defend, but the hosts are still hounding the visitors everywhere. It is at the point where some of the Bayern players don't look anywhere near as comfortable on the ball as usual.

CLOSE! Some of the crowd think Bayern have equalised here as Costa fools everyone that he is going to swing the ball into the box from a free kick. Instead he goes for goal from near the touchline and almost catches Oblak out, but it goes into the side-netting.

Atletico almost get through again here as the ball is booted straight up the middle of the pitch. Martinez fails to deal with it and Griezmann is interested, but he can't get it under his spell and eventually Bayern get it clear.

Bayern want a penalty here as Lahm gets forward down the right flank and cuts inside to create space to shoot on his left foot. He curls one towards goal, but it hits a defender. Lahm claims for the handball, but Clattenburg says no.

CHANCE! Chance for Atletico to double their lead! Again it is a long ball forward that causes problems, with Torres flicking it on to Griezmann. He advances into the area down the right channel, but Martinez puts pressure on and Neuer is able to make the save at his near post.

Another minor flash point as Alonso swings a good, quick, first-time cross into the box. Gimenez goes in bravely with his head while Lewandowski tries to volley it in, and that results in some rolling around from the defender, who got there first. He is not seriously hurt, though, and Mark Clattenburg again correctly refuses to entertain calls for a card.

Good chance for Bayern to create a chance as Coman bursts down the right flank, but opts to cut back instead of playing an early ball inside to Lewandowski. He does then manage to reach the byline and drive a low ball into the box, but Oblak is there to collect it.

SHOT! Another shot from Bayern, but Oblak is again untested as Vidal curls a powerful strike well off target.

Atletico are showcasing all of their gamesmanship at the moment, and it is working. They are spoiling Bayern's football and are masters of doing exactly that. Mark Clattenburg is in for a long evening!

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the night finally arrives as Costa catches Saul on the back of the ankle from behind.

There is an interesting battle brewing with Vidal and a few of the Atletico players. The Bayern midfielder's discipline can be a liability at times, but in this atmosphere they really need fighters like him.

Almost a chance for Atletico as Saul whips a low ball in towards the near post that Koke gets a flick to. Martinez reacts in time to get his head to the ball and put it behind for a corner, though.

There will be just one added minute of this first half.

HALF TIME: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bayern Munich

Mark Clattenburg brings an end to the first half at the Vicente Calderon, and the opening 45 minutes flew by in a hostile environment here. Atletico began the brighter and took the lead, but since then they have been happier to sit back and let Bayern see more of the ball. The visitors haven't been able to get into their usual rhythm, though, with the home side doing a good job of limiting their time on the ball.

The only goal of the game arrived after just 11 minutes, and it was a moment of magic from Saul Niguez. He danced past three Bayern players with some great footwork on his way into the box before cutting inside onto his left and curling a perfect finish into the bottom corner. Guardiola may feel that his defenders should have made it more difficult for the midfielder, but with goals like that you have to just applaud the scorer.

Bayern did almost come up with an equaliser immediately after falling behind when Vidal got his head to a cross from the left flank and sent a looping effort towards the far corner. Oblak looked to be struggling to reach it, but Gimenez was there to nod the ball over the crossbar from pretty much on the line. Chances like that have been few and far between for the visitors, though.

It has been mainly long-range efforts from Bayern for all of their possession, with Alaba and Vidal both firing strikes off target from well outside the area. Douglas Costa also tried to catch Oblak out with a curling free kick from the sideline when everyone was expecting a cross, but the ball went into the side-netting.

Atletico haven't created many chances of their own, with Neuer only being called upon to make fairly routine stops from Saul and Torres, as well as a slightly more difficult one from Griezmann. However, the hosts' success under Simeone is all about their defensive work, and they have shown exactly why tonight. They have done a great job in stifling Bayern so far.

KICKOFF: Atletico get us back underway for the second half here as they look to hold out for a first-leg advantage in this Champions League semi-final.

It's been a better start to the second half from Bayern here. They finally have a bit of space as a ball from the left finds Vidal storming in at the back post, but he scuffs his cross back into the middle and Atletico clear fairly comfortably.

It will be interesting to see how both players approach this game as it wears on. A 1-0 scoreline obviously favours Atletico, but it is certainly not insurmountable for Bayern in the second leg so Atletico may feel they need another, while Bayern will still want an away goal themselves.

Costa whips a decent ball into a good area, but he just doesn't get enough curl on it and it skips through to Oblak, whose handling has been faultless so far tonight.

OFF THE BAR! Oh my word, Alaba comes within inches of levelling things up in spectacular fashion! He is allowed to bring the ball out of defence and let fly from 30-35 yards, with his dipping effort beating Oblak all ends up. The keeper is saved by the woodwork, however, as the ball smashes off the crossbar. What an effort!

CHANCE! Bayern have their best chance of the night, and it comes from a set piece. Costa swings a corner into the box and Martinez rises highest for a free header. It is a good, downward header, but too close to Oblak as he gets down well to make a fine save.

The pressure is all coming from Bayern in this second half, and the visitors are getting more joy going forward too. Atletico need to wrestle back a bit more of the game here.

Brilliant run from Coman as he skips past three Atletico players on his way into the box, but unlike Saul he goes to the byline rather than cutting inside and Gimenez makes an important block.

A few crosses arrive in the Atletico box in quick succession, with Coman getting space down the right and then Costa also whipping a dangerous ball into the middle. Atletico are just a yard or so off the intensity of the first half.

Lewandowski is furious with Gimenez as the defenders throws himself to the group after again challenging the striker for the ball. There is nothing in it, though, and you can understand Lewandowski's anger at the Atletico man trying to feign injury and get him in the book.

Bayern are getting closer... This time Lewandowski gets space in the box down the right channel after a lovely flick from Vidal, but his low ball into the middle goes all the way through to safety.

BAYERN SUB: The visitors make their first change of the evening, and it isn't a bad player to be able to bring on as Franck Ribery replaces Coman.

This really is backs-to-the-wall stuff from Atletico at the moment, and it is a dangerous game to play with so long left in the game and the attacking talent at Bayern's disposal. Then again, no team is better at playing it than Atletico.

I'd expect a lot of stoppages in the final 20 minutes of this match. Atletico are going to milk every challenge for everything it is worth and Bayern need to keep their patience.

BAYERN MUNICH SUB: Another change for Bayern sees Thomas Muller finally introduced in place of Thiago.

CHANCE! Another chance for the visitors as Lahm sends a fine pass forward over the top for Costa down the right channel. Costa tries to lift one over Oblak with his left foot, but puts too much on it and it lands on the roof of the net.

Atletico make a rare foray into the Bayern half and win a corner that is only cleared as far as Gabi. He hits a first-time volley that pings around in the box momentarily before Bayern bring it clear.

SAVE! Vidal drives a rocket of a shot towards the top corner, but Oblak flies to his right to make the save. It was a fine effort from Vidal, but Oblak got there comfortably.

OFF THE POST! Atletico are so close to a crucial second! They come forward on the break as Griezmann carries the ball forward right up the middle of the pitch before finding Torres. He cuts inside past Alaba before going for goal with the outside of his boot. He beats Neuer, but the ball comes back off the post. It then falls to Koke, who plants a tame effort into the arms of the keeper when he probably should have scored too.

BAYERN MUNICH SUB: The visitors make their third and final change as Mehdi Benatia replaces Bernat.

SHOT! Another shooting chance from Alaba and Muller spins on the edge of the box and plays one across. Lewandowski leaves it for Alaba, but he cuts across it and sends it over the top.

YELLOW CARDS! It's all kicking off here! Bayern think the ball is out of play as Koke comes forward, and Benatia makes a silly challenge that allows the hosts to waste more time. The Bayern sub goes into the book for his challenge, while Neuer swiftly follows him for racing out of his goal to pick Koke up off the floor.

YELLOW CARD! It looks as though Saul has also gone into the book here, presumably for time-wasting.

ATLETICO MADRID SUB: Saul makes way to be replaced by Thomas Partey, knowing that his goal is currently the difference between the sides.

YELLOW CARD! Vidal picks up a late yellow card which wastes a little bit more time for Atletico.

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match.

CHANCE! One late chance for Bayern as Ribery lifts a cross into the middle that Benatia gets to, but he can't get enough on his header to really test the keeper.

CHANCE! And another chance! This time it falls to Vidal, but he scuffs his finish and Oblak gratefully collects.

FULL TIME: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bayern Munich

ID:271518: cacheID:271518:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:55348:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Pep Guardiola follows the game during the Champions League round-of-16 second leg between Bayern Munich and Juventus on March 16, 2016
Read Next:
Pep Guardiola wary of Atletico threat
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool440012
2Sporting Lisbon431010
3Brest431010
4Inter Milan431010
5Monaco431010
6Barcelona43019
7Dortmund43019
8Aston Villa43019
9Atalanta42208
10Juventus42117
11Lille42117
12Man City42117
13Arsenal42117
14B. Leverkusen42117
15Celtic42117
16Dinamo Zagreb42117
17AC Milan42026
18Bayern42026
19Benfica42026
20Feyenoord42026
21Real Madrid42026
22Brugge42026
23Atletico42026
24PSV41215
25Sparta Prague41124
26Stuttgart41124
27PSG41124
28Shakhtar41124
29Girona41033
30Salzburg41033
31Bologna40131
32RB Leipzig40040
33Sturm Graz40040
34Young Boys40040
35Red Star40040
36Slovan Bratislava40040


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!