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Atletico Madrid logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Nov 25, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Galatasaray

2-0

Griezmann (13', 65')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Live Commentary: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Galatasaray - as it happened

Relive our live text commentary as Atletico Madrid book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Galatasaray.
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Antoine Griezmann scored twice as Atletico Madrid booked their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League with a simple 2-0 win over Galatasaray at the Vicente Calderon.

The Frenchman opened the scoring on 13 minutes, before doubling the advantage shortly after the hour mark as the hosts cruised to a easy victory.

They do battle with Benfica on matchday six of Group C to determine who advances into the second round as group winners.

Below, relive the drama with our live text commentary.


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Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary on a night where the last 16 of the Champions League beckons for Atletico Madrid. Tonight, Diego Simeone's side host Galatasaray at the Vicente Calderon knowing that just one single point would see them pip their Turkish counterparts and join Group C leaders Benfica in the knockout stages. But a home loss tonight and, well, the C in Group C would represent crisis, or catastrophe, or cock-up.

Yep, defeat is simply not an option. Why? Because it would bring Galatasaray level on points with Atletico - who would stay second on goal difference - but with Atleti facing Benfica in Lisbon on the final matchday, and Gala at home to bottom-of-the-table Astana, a group-stage exit would look very much on the cards.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Qualification is still very much in Atletico's hands and let's look at who Simeone has entrusted with the task of seeing them through. Team news is on the way my friends.

ATLETICO XI: Oblak, Godín, Filipe Luís, Gámez, Giménez, Tiago, Koke, Griezmann, Gabi, Torres, Carrasco

GALA XI: Muslera, Chedjou, Hakan Balta, Semih Kaya, Sabri Sarıoğlu, Denayer, Bilal Kisa, Jem Karacan, Yasin Öztekin, Sneijder, Podolski

ATLETICO SUBS: Moyà, Savić, Juanfran, Torres, Correa, Vietto, Saúl Ñíguez

GALA SUBS: Cenk Gönen, Günter, José Rodríguez, Olcan Adın, Emre Çolak, Umut Bulut, Sinan Gümüs

For an in-depth look at the team news, go ahead and click HERE!

Tonight's contest is a repeat of matchday one in Group C when Atletico travelled to Istanbul. Hell? It was more like heaven for the Rojiblancos, who scored twice in the first 25 minutes through Antoine Griezmann as a 2-0 win was enough. The hosts were horrendous that night, but things have picked up since. They drew 2-2 away to Astana, before beating top-of-the-table Benfica 2-1 in Turkey. Make no bones about it - Gala can be a threat tonight.

But still, Atletico, who have won four of their last five Primera Liga outings, should still definitely have enough to book their ticket to the last 16. On the evidence of their group-stage campaign, they've got a long, long way to go if they want to improve on their runner-up showing of 2014, but reaching the second round would be a big weight off their minds.

PREDICTION! Right, 10 minutes to go - let's get a prediction horrendously wrong. Atletico drew 0-0 in Astana last time out, but we fancy they'll bounce back with a bang tonight. Let's say, hmm, 3-1. That's how it's going to be folks. Or not. Who knows.

How many flares have been confiscated by Spanish authorities tonight?
A - 400
B - 500
C - 600
D - none


Five minutes to go! Excited? Me too. I fancy a cracker. Both sides have plenty to play for.

KICKOFF: And we're off in the Spanish capital, my friends. What a big night. Gala are draped in black but is it there Champions League funeral tonight? Let's find out. They kick us off. Remember - the Turks need a victory to stay alive.

Torres, who is STILL hunting his 100th Atletico goal, looks to latch on to Koke's slingshot through ball here, but Muslera is off his line wonderfully.

Good defending from Semih Kaya, who gets across excellently to snuff out Koke's ball for Jesus Gamez. From the throw-in, Gamez almost scores an own goal! It's been a horrendous start by the visitors, who are under fierce pressure early doors.

Manchester City loanee Jason Denayer has looked sharp on Gala's left wing. He's a very promising avenue of attack tonight but nothing doing as yet. Atletico in total control.

What a sublime ball this almost is from Griezmann, whose first-time clip over Gala's back four is nearly latched on to by Koke, but there's too much pace on it.

SAVE! What a truly brilliant save by Jan Oblak as Sneijder bursts through on goal, but the Dutchman's left-footed low drive is tipped away by the Atleti stopper. Simply put, Gala have to take chances like that. Failure to win tonight and they're out of the competition.

GOAL! Atletico 1-0 Galatasaray (Antoine Griezmann)

Penny for the thought of Sneijder! Minutes after the Dutchman missed, Griezmann scored. It's horrendous defending as the Frenchman drifts into the box completely unmarked, before heading Gabi's cross past the helpless Muslera. That's a big step toward the last 16.

SHOT! Muslera does well to catch this as the ball pops up nicely for Griezmann, whose volley is sweetly struck, but the Turkish stopper keeps it out.

Disappointingly, Galatasaray look a beaten side already. They've been dreadful at the back and it could be any number for Atleti tonight if they really want them. Incidentally, this is Claudio Taffarel's last game in charge of Gala. So far it's going to be a losing send off.

CLOSE! Koke, who looks a bit like a Spanish Aaron Ramsey, has a snap shot here and it's agonisingly past the post.

CLOSE! Atletico really applying the pressure now and Diego Godin heads just over from Gabi's corner. Jason Denayer is down receiving treatment now. He's looked sharp, the Man City loanee, but he may have to go off.

SUB: Yep, Denayer is stretchered off the field clutching his thigh and Olcan Adın replaces him. The visitors have been truly horrible to watch. They've contributed virtually nothing to this spectacle.

Twenty eight minutes deep and the visitors have only had 81 passes which sums up their woes. They've been poor, but Atletico are pressuring them time and time again to be fair. Podolski has been a mere spectator as the Gala spearhead.

I'd murder a packet of Lays now. Sorry but the advertisements are the most interesting thing I've seen in recent minutes. It's all gone a little tepid here to be fair. Atletico still on top but very, very little doing.

SHOT! Yannick Carrasco does his best to grab a second, but he's never in a month of Sundays scoring from here as his angled drive flies well, well wide.

Felipe Luis should've done A LOT better here. He easily wins the ball from Semih, but with Torres lurking unmarked at the back post, the Brazilian left-back goes for goal instead of picking out his teammate. Poor decision.

Seven minutes to go. Galatasaray have set up for a counter-attacking style. Problem is, they haven't had a single counter-attack! Thankfully for them it's Claudio Taffarel's final game in charge.

Four minutes to go. If this first half was a dog you'd have to shoot it out of kindness. It's cruel if the referee plays a second of added time let alone a minute or two.

HALF TIME: Atletico 1-0 Galatasaray

Well, that's it for one half. Is it great? Not really, but it's satisfactory for the Rojiblancos, who sit 45 minutes away from a last-16 spot courtesy of Antoine Griezmann's first-half header. Galatasaray, draped in black, are attending their own Champions League funeral tonight. Failure to bring three points back to Istanbul and it's bye-bye for them. They've been dreadful it has to be said.

RESTART! We're back! Galatasaray need to score twice in this half and hope Atletico don't add to their 1-0 advantage if they want any chance of reaching the last 16. That being said, they've been very poor so far. Atletico, on the other hand, would reach the second round if they win or draw. It's not looking well for the visitors.

As we said, Gala need something very special in this second half but they've done nothing to suggest this period will be different unfortunately. Atletico still bossing things by way of possession.

SAVE! Yep, Galatasaray don't want this. They've gone asleep here as Torres plays in Gamez, who swings a wonderful cross to the back post for Koke but the Spanish Aaron Ramsey's effort is pawed away at the near post by Muslera. Should've done much better if we're honest.

SHOT! Torres, who's been on 99 Atletico goals since September, curls a fair bit wide of the mark, but it's took a deflection and Gala clear from the corner.

Ten minutes into this half and there's already promising signs - but only for Atletico! The Turkish side have done very, very little, and probably should be behind by further but Koke and Torres missed decent chances earlier in the half.

BOOKING: First booking of the night as first-half sub Olcan Adin goes into the book for kicking out at Carrasco. Koke lines this up...

.........and it's wide - well, well wide. Disappointing that.

CLOSE! This isn't far away at all from Torres whose first-time flick at goal is just wide. His last goal for Atletico was back on 19th of September - he's going to be on #99 forever, isn't he?

Koke executes a wonderful bit of skill here, but Galatasaray are letting them do it! It's criminal from the Turkish side, who I have NEVER seen play so poorly. It's astonishing. They're getting nowhere Atletico and making very little attempt to either.

SUB: Gala make their first sub as Bilal Kisa makes way for Umut Bulut. He had an excellent impact in the retun fixture in September.

GOAL! Atletico 2-0 Galatasaray (Griezmann)

Put a fork in it, folks. It's the same combination which led to the scoring, but it's a low cross from Gabi this time as Griezmann taps home from close range. It's been coming. Incidentally, that's the Frenchman's fourth goal against Gala in two games.

SUB: It's job done for Atletico and Simeone makes two changes. Griezmann and Carrasco make way for Luciano Vietto and Oliver Torres.

CHANCE! Good lord it should definitely be 3-0. Torres plays a perfectly-weighted pass for Vietto, who opens his body up and tries to curl it past Muslera, but he's too obvious in his intentions and the Gala keeper reads it well. He'll be kicking himself.

SAVE! Atletico want to kill this one off once and for all, and Torres, from outside the box, turns his marker and fires at goal, but Muslera pulls off a decent save to keep it out.

SUB: Atletico make their last sub as Saul Niguez replaces Tiago. Gala have a corner now! Seriously, this mob have been absolutely shambolic in the final third. As it stands, they've still only had the one shot. And the corner comes to nothing unsurprisingly.

Ten minutes to go here folks. Galatasaray are doing a little better now, but surely it's far too late to salvage something. They need to score three times in the last 10 minutes to preserve their hopes of the last 16.

Gala have a free kick right on the edge of the area following a foul from Jose Gimenez, whose name we haven't even mentioned because we hadn't had to....

SHOT! It's an excellent effort from Sneijder, given how close the free kick was from, but Oblak is equal to it.

It's just not happening for poor Torres, whose curling effort loops off a defender's leg and drops into Muslera's hands. Three minutes to go thank god. This one is a slow burner.

THREE MINUTES ADDED ON

FULL TIME: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Galatasaray

Well, that's it! Atletico have officially reached the last 16. Whether it's as Group C winners or runners-up we'll have to wait for 13 days to discover, but they're in the knockouts. Galatasaray were horrendously poor - like, really, really poor. They had one shot, and it was off target. They're rightly heading out of the competition. Anywho, that's us. Cheers for joining our live text commentary and we'll see you again.

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