Atletico Madrid travelled to Austria Vienna this evening hoping to continue their 100% Champions League record this season with victory over Group G's lowest-seeded team.
It took the La Liga outfit - beaten for the first time domestically on Saturday - just eight minutes to open the scoring at the Ernst Happel Stadium, with Raul Garcia converting from Filipe Luis's square pass.
Atletico's top goalscorer Diego Costa marked his debut in the competition with a fine individual effort for Madrid's second, as he ran from the halfway line before taking on a Vienna defender and slotting home on 20 minutes.
The hosts improved and had a period of pressure either side of half time, but another goal from Costa just after the break put the game to bed, and ensured that Atletico consolidated their place at the top of the pool.
Below, you can read how the action unfolded in Austria.
Evening from Vienna! I now realise that introduction sounds like I am a host at the Eurovision Song Contest. Obviously, I'm not, but there are points to be won this evening, too, as the Champions League returns...
Atletico Madrid's trip to Austria Vienna is one of seven Champions League fixtures that Sports Mole is bringing you live this evening. We have not heard that famous music in three long weeks...
Team news coming your way shortly...
VIENNA: Lindner; Dilaver, Rogulj, Ortlechner, Suttner; Stankovic, Holland, Mader; Royer, Hosiner, Jun
ATLETICO: Courtois; Juanfran, Alderweireld, Miranda, Felipe Luis; Tiago, Gabi, Koke, Raul Garcia, Turan; Diego Costa
The headline inclusion in the Atletico lineup is that of Diego Costa. The Brazilian-born striker, who has found the net 10 times in nine La Liga appearances, is yet to feature in Europe this year due to a ban that was hanging over from their European campaign last season.
Spain's record goalscorer David Villa and Leo Baptistao had been leading the line in the Champions League in Costa's absence. Villa is named on the bench tonight, but there is no place in the squad for Baptistao, as Adrian returns from a jaw injury to take his place among the substitutes.
Belgian international defender Toby Alderweireld makes his first Champions League start for Madrid, and just his second in total, since joining them from Ajax in the summer. He replaces Diego Godin, a goalscorer in the win over Porto in the second round of fixtures, in central defence.
Alderweireld is paired alongside Miranda, who was unavailable for the defeat to Espanyol on Saturday - Atletico's first dropped La Liga points of the season. Like Godin, he has also found the net in Europe this season - a header in the 3-1 home success over Zenit St Petersburg.
One of Diego Simeone's most impressive performers in this campaign to date has been Koke. The 21-year-old Spanish international midfielder will attempt to pull the strings from the centre of the park, and is flanked on either side by a wealth of experience in the shape of Tiago and Gabi.
VIENNA SUBS: Kardum, Ramsebner, Leovach, Koch, Simkovic, Spiridonovic, Kienast
ATLETICO SUBS: Gul, Insua, Suarez, Rodriquez, Oliver Torres, Villa, Adrian
The hosts name seven Austrians in their lineup, four of whom were named in the national squad for the final round of World Cup qualifying matches. Markus Suttner has established himself as the country's first choice left back, while fellow defender Manuel Ortlechner has nine international caps.
Vienna Goalkeeper Heinz Lindner competes with Robert Almer for the Austria number one jersey. Striker Philipp Hosiner has scored twice in five international appearances, although both of his goals came against the Faroe Islands, and five times at club level this term.
Marko Stankovic is the one that Atletico have to watch out for, though. The 27-year-old forward is in fine form, having bagged six goals in six domestic starts this season. Vienna are managed by former Croatia international Nenad Bjelica.
ONE TO WATCH: Aside from the obvious (Costa), Arda Turan is a real attacking threat for the high-flying Spanish side. He is often the middle man between Atletico's midfield and attack and is a real creative threat.
PREDICTION: I expect Atletico to bounce back from their La Liga defeat at the weekend with a comfortable win tonight. The margin of victory may depend on how early Madrid break the deadlock, but I anticipate that they will stroll to a 3-0 triumph.
The hosts get us underway in Vienna...
Atletico get some early possession down the Vienna left but are eventually forced backwards. A win for them tonight will virtually guarantee the Spaniards progression to the knockout stages.
SHOT! Juanfran pinches the ball from Hosiner before playing it into the feet of Garcia. He collects a return pass and then fires a powerful shot towards the top left corner which Linder tips behind.
There are already signs of how I anticipate this match playing out. Madrid are having plenty of the ball, but are finding a wall of nine Vienna players between them and the goal. It may prove difficult for the visitors to break them down - the Austrians have kept four clean sheets in their six European games this term.
GOAL! VIENNA 0-1 ATLETICO (RAUL GARCIA)
What was I saying?! Madrid take just eight minutes to make their class show on the scoresheet as Garcia taps into an empty net from Felipe Luis's square pass. The Brazilian full-back was played through by Koke and had an easy setup to Garcia, who could not fail to net his fourth of the season.
The other game in Group G tonight is between the two teams that will likely compete for second place behind Atletico. Porto vs Zenit is currently goalless. I'll let you know if and when that changes.
SUBSTITUTION: Vienna are forced into an early change - with Roman Kienast being brought on for Marko Stankovic. It appears as though the forward has suffered a reoccurrence of the thigh strain that had sidelined him for the last five games. A bad start made worse...
BOOKING: Hosiner is yellow carded for a nasty late challenge on Gabi, which was probably provoked by the frustration of him being having had a kick thus far.
Rogulj switches the play with a fizzing cross-field pass to Royer on the left byline. He delivers an early ball from deep which Hosiner was poised to attack, before Alderweirled headed clear.
GOAL! VIENNA 0-2 ATLETICO (DIEGO COSTA)
Atletico have another, and it is Diego Costa who nets on his Champions League debut, and it is a fine solo effort! He collects a layoff from Garcia just inside the Vienna half and then runs with the ball until the edge of the box, where he sells Ortlechner a dummy to create space for a shot, which he calmly rolls into the bottom corner. He made that look so easy, which, in truth, it has been for Atletico thus far.
This has been a nightmare start for Vienna. If they are to get anything from this match, which looks highly unlikely, they will have to come at Madrid and that will play right into the hands of the visitors. It could just be a question of how many.
Momentary concern for Atletico as Costa goes down clutching his ankle following a sliding challenge from Holland. The Australian midfielder got the ball, though, and it may have just been a case of Costa trying to buy a foul from the referee. Indeed, he is soon back on his feet.
SHOT! Koke collects a pass inside from Luis, spins and takes a 25-yard shot from the left corner of the penalty spot which hits the advertising boards five yards wide of Linder's near post.
BOOKING: Atletico have a free kick in a very promising position, central to the goal and 25 yards out. Holland is cautioned for a deliberate handball, as he used his arm to nudge the ball away from Costa after initially miscontrolling the ball.
From the set piece, a low drive from Luis is charged down and when the ball comes back to Gabi, he releases Juanfran on the right. His cross flies across a really dangerous area but just evades several Atletico bodies waiting at the back post.
CHANCE! Lovely move from Simeone's team. On the left byline, Koke flicks a return pass into Luis, who then plays the ball into the feet of Costa. He rolls his marker, but cannot wrap his foot around the ball as he slices his eight-yard effort well wide.
WOODWORK! Vienna are enjoying their best spell of possession for a while and they nearly catch Madrid off guard. Mader stands a cross up to the back post and Hosiner meets it brilliantly, with a side-foot volley that has Courtois beaten, but bounces off the crossbar.
PENALTY APPEAL! The hosts feel aggrieved after having shouts for a spot kick turned down. Kienast and Miranda were tugging at each others shirts as the Vienna man tried to spin away from the defender just inside the box. He goes to ground, but nothing is given, much to the dismay of Kienast, who is booked for dissent following his complaints.
This has been an excellent last five minutes from Vienna, who have ignited some excitement from the home crowd. A goal before half time would certainly give Atletico something to think about.
Costa goes down again, but this time requires some medical treatment. It was a clash of knees with Rogulj that has caused the Brazilian discomfort, but it is nothing that he won't be able to run off.
BOOKING: Raul Garcia becomes the first Madrid player to be yellow carded this evening after sliding in late on Mader. The fouled player delivers the resultant free kick, which Miranda heads clear.
We are now in the first of TWO minutes of stoppage time...
HALF TIME: VIENNA 0-2 ATLETICO
Atletico have a comfortable half-time cushion in Vienna, thanks to goals from Garcia and Costa inside the first 20 minutes. At one point, it looked as if though the hosts would be in for a real hammering, but they have fought back well and showed in the latter stages of the half that they might just make this a contest in the second period.
Philipp Hosiner came within inches of pulling one back for the Austrians, with a side-foot volley that came back off the crossbar. They certainly improved as the half went on, but Vienna's problem is finding the net, which they haven't done so far in the group stages.
Their quest for a goal has been made more difficult by the injury withdrawal of their top goalscorer Marko Stankovic, who left the action after just 13 minutes with what looked like a calf strain.
STATS: Madrid have shaded possession with 55% and have converted their time on the ball into seven shots, three of which were on target. Vienna are yet to test Thibaut Courtois, but the Chelsea loanee was beaten by Hosiner's volley that cannoned back off the woodwork.
The action is back underway at the Ernst Happel Stadium, and I have news of an Atletico change...
SUBSTITUTION: Simeone makes a straight swap at left-back, with former Liverpool defender Emiliano Insua replacing Felipe Luis. No news as yet on whether that change is injury related.
BOOKING: Markus Suttner follows two of his Vienna teammates into the book after diving in on Turan and tripping the Turkish playmaker. Seconds earlier, Suttner had delivered an inviting cross into the Madrid box which was not attacked by any of the home strikers.
SHOT! Mader has already showed today that he has a lovely left foot, which the midfielder uses to unleash a dipping 35-yard shot that had Courtois worried before it landed on the roof of the net. Good effort.
The hosts have carried the momentum that they picked up in the first half into the second. They need to score soon, though, to really put some pressure on Atletico, for whom a third goal would diffuse this lively crowd and kill off the game.
GOAL! VIENNA 0-3 ATLETICO (DIEGO COSTA)
Right on cue, Costa increases Atletico's lead into what is now surely an unassailable advantage. He is granted far too much room as he collects the ball 35 yards out. He shifts the ball onto Garcia and makes a run into the box, which Insua finds. Costa's first touch is excellent and allows him to take his time before poking past Linder into the bottom corner.
BOOKING: Gabi is cautioned after catching Royer by the left touchline, after the Vienna winger had wrong-footed the Madrid captain with a quick change of pace and direction.
That third Atletico goal is a bit harsh on Vienna, who had enjoyed a bright 20 minutes either side of the interval. I wouldn't go as far as saying that they looked more likely to score, as they still haven't found the net in the Champions League this season, and the prolific Costa has already found it twice in under an hour.
SUBSTITUTION: Simeone will now take the opportunity to rest some of his key players ahead of the return to domestic action this weekend. Two-goal man Costa is the man who makes way for Christian Rodriguez. The Brazilian will be more than pleased with his first taste of Champions League football.
SAVE! There are appeals for a high foot on Miranda by Kienast, as he controls a pass from Hollands before shooting on the turn, an effort which Courtois comfortably gathers.
CLOSE! Royer delivers an inswinging free kick from the left, which just evades the stretching head of Rogulj, and then everybody else as it nearly sneaks inside the far post. Courtois may have had it covered, but goalkeepers can often be caught out by those kind of crosses.
BOOKING: Silly tackle by Juanfran, who needlessly snaps at the heels of Royer, with the Vienna winger being forced backwards. Simeone loved a challenge in his playing days, but he will be frustrated with such a daft caution.
Lovely breakaway from Turan down the right, as he skips over the challenge of Suttner and charges to the byline. Since Costa's withdrawal, though, Atletico have been playing without a main striker and that is noticeable as only Rodriguez makes a late run into the box, which Turan cannot pick out.
Of course, as is the group-stage format, this is the first of back-to-back meetings between these two sides. Vienna visit the beautiful surroundings of the Vicente Calderon Stadium two weeks tomorrow.
SUBSTITUTION: Vienna boss Nenad Bjelica, who has taken up a place in the stands for the second period (whether that is voluntary or not, I am not sure), makes his second change. Tomas Jun is replaced by striker Srdan Spiridonovic, who is yet to score for the Austrian outfit.
Juanfran gets to the right byline and stands a cross up towards Rodriguez at the back post, but the Uruguayan international cannot generate much power on a header which Linder gets across to saves.
SAVE! Linder shows great reflexes to prevent his teammate Ortlechner from scoring an embarrassing own goal! Garcia controlled Rodriguez's chipped pass on his knee and then tried to side foot the play into the path of Turan, who was running into the box from deep. Ortlechner intercepts with his head, and catches Linder off guard, but the Vienna keeper sticks out a hand to prevent the ball going into the home net.
SUBSTITUTION: Adrian will get the final 10 minutes to try and snatch a goal, as he enters the fray in place of Raul Garcia, who put Atletico on their way with the opener. That's Simeone's final change, which means we shall not see David Villa in action this evening.
SHOT! Madrid are committing plenty of bodies forward as the search for a fourth. The ball eventually comes to Rodriguez at the edge of the box, but he is off balance as he volleys left-footed a comfortable distance over the crossbar.
SUBSTITUTION: Vienna turn to their bench for the final time, with Daniel Royer, who has been lively at times in the second period, taken off in place of Marin Leovac.
This will be Madrid's third win from three in the group stages, giving them the maximum of nine points and a commanding lead at the top of the Group G table. Victory against Vienna in a fortnight's time will guarantee them qualification. Simeone must be thinking this Champions League lark is too easy!
UPDATE! Zenit look to have snatched all three points in Porto following Alexander Kerzhakov's 85th-minute goal. The hosts have been on the back foot ever since going down to 10 men after just six minutes - Hector Herrera the man dismissed, for two bookings!
SAVE! Atletico break with real pace and Gabi picks out the run of Adrian through the middle. The substitute cannot quite get the ball out from under his feet quickly enough, and by the time he does, Linder has set himself to make a smart stop with his legs.
There will be TWO minutes added on. A pretty comfortable evening for Madrid is almost over. It's a good response from their first domestic defeat of the season - to Espanyol on Saturday.
FULL TIME: VIENNA 0-3 ATLETICO
So, Atletico consolidate their position at the top of Group G, and are now all but mathematically in the knockout stages. Vienna had a brief period where they matched Diego Simeone's visitors, but, for the most part, it was a bit of a mismatch. Two goals from Diego Costa, and another from Raul Garcia, have secured the La Liga outfit a convincing victory at the Ernst Happel Stadium.
That is it from me for this evening. Be sure to rejoin Sports Mole on Wednesday night for more extensive Champions League coverage. Thanks for joining us tonight. Three points go to...Atletico Madrid!
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
