Atletico Madrid 1-0 Bayern Munich: Saul Niguez strike hands the advantage to the hosts in Champions League semi-final first leg
- Saul Niguez opened the scoring for Atletico Madrid after 11 minutes of their Champions League semi-final first leg
- Thomas Muller was left on the bench for Bayern Munich and they struggled to create chances without him
- David Alaba rattled the crossbar early in the second half as the visitors pushed back in search of an away goal
- Fernando Torres hit the post with 15 minutes left at the end of a fantastic move before Koke's follow-up was saved
This is his third Champions League campaign with Bayern Munich and the first two have ended at the semi-final stage. Now he must turn around a 1-0 deficit against one of the most cussed, yet gifted, teams in Europe: Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
They are Simeone’s because rarely has a group of players been fashioned so successfully to a manager’s will and personality. They are his reflection, obsessively hard-working, tigerish, always in motion.
Saul Niguez celebrates after giving Atletico Madrid the advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich
Saul was joined by his jubilant Atletico team-mates after his goal set up a 1-0 first leg advantage for the Spanish side
Antoine Griezmann celebrates as Saul's goal nestles in the back of the Vicente Calderon net as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer watches on
Atletico manager Diego Simeone calls on his team and their supporters to raise the tempo during their first leg victory
Fernando Torres might have left Bayern on the brink of exit but his 75th-minute shot hit Neuer's post rather than going in
This was a magnificent defensive display, yet also found room for one of the goals of the season from Saul Niguez. It was that wonder of wonders, a dribbler’s goal; one of the few moments of pure showmanship in a game increasingly dominated by percentages, transitions and statistical analysis.
We remember those goals — Diego Maradona, Ricky Villa, Ryan Giggs — and Saul’s will be remembered by all that were here. It would have taken the roof off the place — if Atletico Madrid’s stadium had one, on three of its four sides.
Munich dominated after half-time and came close to equalising on a number of occasions. David Alaba hit the bar with a quite spectacular shot from 35 yards out, with goalkeeper Jan Oblak beaten. A header from Javi Martinez forced a good save soon after, and Douglas Costa should have done better with an attempted lob that looked closer than it was due to the spring in the roof of the net.
On the touchline, Guardiola went through agonies. Going into the game, the players on his bench — Franck Ribery, Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller among them — had actually scored more goals in the Champions League this season than Atletico Madrid, but for all their efforts Bayern could not find a way through.
Indeed, they would have been all but out had Fernando Torres not hit a post with a counter-attack in the 75th minute. Antoine Griezmann did brilliantly to find him, and then Torres held off Alaba before striking a low, powerful, shot that rebounded out with Manuel Neuer helpless.
Simeone, the scourge of tiki-taka having done for Barcelona in the previous round, continued to issue frantic instructions. He did not introduce loose balls into the proceedings — the dark art that earned him a three-game ban in La Liga, announced on Wednesday — but he did stand as close to the pitch’s perimeter as any linesman, at one time having to scuttle clear to avoid becoming embroiled in play.
He is involved, though, perhaps more than any coach in the modern game. If Guardiola just had Atletico Madrid to beat he might feel confident of overturning a single goal at home — but this is Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. Guardiola will recognise the task is enormous.
Managers Pep Guardiola and Simeone share a greeting on the touchline as the teams emerged before the semi-final first leg clash
Atletico supporters produced a huge mosaic pre-match telling the team 'I love you' from the passionate Vicente Calderon crowd
Bayern forward Thomas Muller was placed on the bench by Guardiola and was joined by Mario Gotze, Sven Ulreich and Serdar Tasci
Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski found himself closely followed by Atletico pairing Jose Gimenez and Gabi during the opening stages
Before the game, Saul had declared Bayern the best team left in the competition.
With Atletico’s city rivals Real Madrid also among the last four, he may just have been pleasing the locals, but if he was speaking with a straight face, maybe it was admiration that inspired him to score one of the greatest goals of this season’s tournament.
It came in the 11th minute, after Saul had already tried his range from 30 yards, an ambitious attempt that was easily snaffled by Neuer. His next effort, however, was markedly different — a thing of beauty that lifted the Estadio Vicente Calderon to new levels of joy and abandon.
They have waited 42 years for their revenge on Munich, victors when the clubs met in the 1974 European Cup final. Atletico were seconds from winning in extra time, Munich equalised and then won the replay — remember them — 4-0. Nobody would say Saul’s goal made up for that; but it went a fair old way.
Atletico midfielder Augustos Fernandez nips the ball away from the sliding challenge of Bayern counterpart Arturto Vidal
Filipe Luis gets to grips with Bayern youngster Kingsley Coman as the Juventus loanee looked to push forward down the flank
Douglas Costa sweeps the ball away from the sliding challenge of Koke with Bayern showing glimpses of danger in the first few minutes
Saul gave Atletico the opening goal after 11 minutes, jinking away from a couple of Bayern challenges before curling into the corner
Neuer dived but the goalkeeper's efforts were in vain as Saul's low shot flew beyond his grasp and inside of the far post
The Spanish midfielder is congratulated by team-mate Koke after his fantastic opening goal of the semi-final tie
It would almost be easier to name the Munich players he did not skip past or outwit on his way towards the penalty area.
Start with Pep Guardiola’s favourite, Thiago Alcantara, add a slalom move that defeated Juan Bernat and Xabi Alonso, finally throw in a surge beyond Alaba and there you have it.
Not every challenge was of the required standard for a Champions League semi-final, mind you, but the route still took some negotiating and Saul’s balance and intent were quite perfect. So was his finish, a low curled shot that eluded Neuer, settling in at the far post.
Atletico have every reason to be confident in their current form, having eliminated Barcelona in the previous round, but this seemed to better all expectations. The old arena erupted in a riot of red and white celebration. Just as a footnote, Saul is still waiting for his first cap for Spain. In England, meanwhile, we are driving the manager mad to pick Marcus Rashford.
Vidal gets to the ball ahead of Gabi in the midfield battle as Bayern battled to wrestle back Atletico's early advantage in the game
Lewandowski continued to find his space starved by the Atletico defence, with Fernandez taking the ball from his feet here
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak rises above Coman and Luis to claim the ball in the air from a Bayern cross during the first half
Juan Bernat tries to keep the ball under pressure from Juanfran with Bayern becoming frustrated during the semi-final first leg
Former Chelsea and Liverpool striker Torres tries to find a way past Bayern captain Philipp Lahm down the flank
Griezmann grimaces after a chance to make it 2-0 goes begging with Bayern's back four seemingly half-asleep in the first half
English referee Mark Clattenburg took charge of proceedings during the second Champions League semi-final second leg
Atletico could have gone further ahead in the 30th minute when Griezmann — a target for Chelsea, although why he would wish to leave this for a team that will not even play in Europe next season is something of a mystery — looked to have broken free of the defence, Martinez set off in pursuit and did just enough to rattle the Frenchman as he shaped to shoot, Neuer pulling off a save at the near post.
The rest of the half belonged to Munich, staying true to those famous Guardiola philosophies, and attacking ferociously down the flanks through Costa and Kingsley Coman. A minute after Saul’s goal they were almost back in the game.
Douglas crossed and Jose Maria Gimenez made a hash of trying to stop Arturo Vidal, before redeeming himself to head the spinning loose ball clear of the goal-line. From the corner, Alonso picked out Vidal again, although this time his header was more capably gathered by Oblak.
The Munich contingent thought they had scored 12 minutes later when a free-kick whipped in by Costa found the side-netting. High on the stadium’s sweeping arc, several thousand Bavarians were caught out by the optical illusion, much to the merriment of the locals. They were almost as chipper about the booking Costa received from referee Mark Clattenburg for fouling Saul soon after.
Guardiola was powerless for much of the game as his team suffered frustration in their attempts to break the hosts down in Madrid
David Alaba (not in shot) fired a shot against Oblak's crossbar in the second half as Bayern looked for an equaliser and away goal
Javi Martinez gets up to direct an unsuccessful header at goal above Gimenez from a set-piece as Bayern pushed back at Atletico
Lewandowski and Vidal found opportunities scarce at the Vicente Calderon before Muller was brought on to join the attack
Atletico manager Simeone urges his team forward in his typically exuberant style on the touchline during the second half
Torres almost made it 2-0 with 15 minutes left, finishing off a brilliant move by hitting the post with a shot from the outside of his boot
