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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Atletico v Real Madrid, Champions League final

It’s was all-Madrid derby in Milan.

The sun’s shining, it’s late May and it’s the biggest night in European club football. Where else would you be?

It’s Atleti v Real again in the Champions League decider and we’re going minute-by-minute.

Let’s do this.

Diego Simeone almost masterminded a Champions League win a couple of year’s ago of course but Atleti’s city rivals fought back to claim La Decima.

Though they haven’t won La Liga like in 2014, Atletico look even better this season, if you ask me.

How do you see it playing out in Milan tonight?


Poll Results:

Real again (349)
Atletico (270)

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - UEFA Champions League - Final - San Siro EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

There’s some Celtic fans in the crowd. Optimistic ticket buying.

Dunphy and Giles think Atleti will do it. I didn’t catch who Brady went for but it’s clear that particular football purist is no fan of Simeone and his brand of tactics.

Ah lads, Alicia Keys is here.

alicia

Hopefully, we’ll have an evening where this gentleman will be but a bit player.

Mark Clattenburg is tonight’s match referee.

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - UEFA Champions League - Final - San Siro EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

Two absolute heroes Franco Baresi and Javier Zanetti say hi to Alicia Keys as she leaves the pitch and then bring the famous old cup to the centre circle while Seven Nation Army blares.

Your friend and mind Andrea Bocelli gives us a few bars and it’s all pretty dramatic.

Ronnie Whelan is far from impressed but we thought that was good as pre-game shows go.

The teams are on the pitch, though. Time to take care of business.

And we’re up and running in Milan.

Too busy tapping my toes to This Girl Is On Fire, I forgot to give you the teams.

Real Madrid (4-3-3): Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. Subs: Casilla, Nacho, James, Lucas Vázquez, Jesé, Isco, Danilo.

Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak; Juanfran, Godín, Savic, Filipe Luis; Saúl, Gabi, Augusto, Koke; Torres, Griezmann. Subs: Moyà, Tiago, Correa, Lucas Hernández, Carrasco, Partey, Giménez.

The opening exchanges have been tasty enough. Lots of fouls and more notably, hounding of the ref.

This is no friendly derby.

Save! Oblak denies Real!

Bale whips in a free kick, Casemiro gets a touch from inside the six-yard box but the Atleti keeper saves with his legs I think.

Rio Ferdinand has been Whatsapping Tomás Ó Sé or Ronnie O’Sullivan it seems. 

911

Tony Kroos forces the game’s first corner. He takes on a shot but it’s blocked and is put behind.

Mark Clattenburg is trying to get a handle on this game.

Carvajal takes out Griezmann and finds himself in the book for his efforts.

Ronnie Whelan insists the French forward saw the tackle coming and did well.

GOAL! Real 1 Atleti 0, Sergio Ramos 

Los Blancos go ahead after 15 minutes.

Tony Kross floated in a free kick form out wide. Gareth Bale got in front of the Atletico defence to flick it on and Ramos bundled it home.

Our colleague Steve O’Rourke is in Milan for the game. He had lunch with Clarence Seedorf earlier.

Other European football greats like Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello are in the stands too.

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Stat.

Here’s that goal. Was Ramos offside?
https://vine.co/v/iVzxJ29wmEw

Whether it was or not, Real are well worth their lead so far.

Griezmann has been fairly quiet so far but he popped up on the end of a pass in the box there. The danger was snuffed out once again, however.

He’s Real’s biggest threat but he hasn’t got going at all tonight so far.

Save from Oblak! Benzema was pushed wide by a sloppy pass when Real threatened.

He did well to get the ball out from under his feet and drive the ball towards Ronaldo et al at the back post but the Atleti keeper got in the way once again.

We’re over the half hour mark now.

Griezmann is powering up. He had a shot on target there that didn’t ever look like it would find its way to the net but he’s looking brighter.

Good volley from Griezmann but it’s saved… and he’s offside anyway. Much better.

It’s all Atletico now, in terms of possession, and Real seems content to soak it all up.

They’ve got their roles mixed up there, haven’t they?

We’re into first-half injury time.

Half-time: Real Madrid 1 Atletico 0

Peep peep! What did you make of that first 45?

It hasn’t been a classic, so far.

Dunphy’s verdict on the goal: clearly offside.

What’s the Spanish for hairdryer?

One Diego Simeone half-time team talk later, we’re under way again.

PENALTY! Torres is taken down by Pepe.

That’s a soft one. But here we go…

MISSED! Griezmann hammers THE penalty off the crossbar! iT bounces down and away!

Some start then to the second half.

Griezmann’s penalty was obviously too high but at least we got a ‘shiver me timbers!’ exhalation from George Hamilton out of it.

Atleti have started really brightly though.

This is that penalty.
http://vine.co/v/iVamP5Wlv3M

Was Robben in 2012 the last missed spotter in a Champions League decider?

Danilo is on for an injured Carvajal who leaves the pitch in tears.

Just wide! The ball bounced around in the Real box until Savic pokes it into the side netting.

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - UEFA Champions League - Final - San Siro BT Sport presenters Steve McManaman, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Lineker (left to right) in their studio as they watch the first half. EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

Saul hooks a volley just wide and Simeone is conducting the Atleti fans. It feels like they have the momentum but can they make it count?

It’s literally 11 white shirts behind the ball as Atleti play the role of the side trying to pick a way through.

Ultimately, the move breaks down as Saul lashes a ball wide.

The director is starting to pick out the anguished faces of Atletico fans in the crowd. We’re 65 minutes in.

Godin did really well to cover and tackle Ronaldo has he burst through on goal. The Portuguese hasn’t been at all prominent but he could well pop up with a memorable moment yet.

Save from Oblak again. Modric gets on the ball, Ronaldo then threads Benzema through and legs it in support.

The French striker goes it alone however only for the Atleti keeper to again make a really good save.

Isco is ready to come on, meanwhile.

Tony Kroos makes way for Isco.

Pepe, you clown.

The Portuguese defender is put to ground by a shoulder from Felipe Luis. The former Chelsea man then gives him a genuinely friendly slap on the face in acknowledgement and Pepe rolls around like he’s being riddled by an automatic weapon.

Clattenburg gives him a talking to but no card, sadly.

Benzema’s shift is over; Vazquez is introduced.

Off the line! Savic gets it clear after Bale shoots. Moments earlier Ronaldo had a pop but was denied.

GOAL! Real Madrid 1 Atletico 1, Carassco 80′

Game on, Ger.

What a swing. Oblak and Savic denied a second Real goal and then Atleti went up the pitch and equalised.

Carrassco got on the end of the move and then went and fully shifted a fan — presumably his girlfriend — in the crowd.

10 minutes of normal time remaining.

That’s karma, Pepe.
https://vine.co/v/iVa5Uw9OYwB

Torres gets ahead of Ramos to meet a near post ball but can’t turn it inside the post.

Here’s that celebration for the ages:

CjkhkVWWEAAyUlL

It beats the Sharpey Shuffle.

Into the final minute and it looks like we’re heading for 30 minutes more. What a treat.

I’m not sure Ronaldo will be with us throughout, however. He looks bate.

Ramos is yellow carded for taking down Carrasco who had the head down and was heading for goal.

Gabi is booked too however for waving an imaginary yellow in Clattenburg’s face.

FULL-TIME Real 1 Atletico 1: The Champions League final goes to extra time.

So an all-Madrid Champions League decider goes to extra-time again. Here we go.

George Hamilton makes the interesting point that Real have no subs left and Ronaldo looks a passenger.

IMG_4041

IMG_4042

We’re snapping from pretty good seats at the San siro, thank you very much.

Join the party:

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - UEFA Champions League - Final - San Siro EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

Griezmann almost gets in behind after good work from Torres but Danilo does well to defend.

Real have woken up.

Ronaldo skipped past Juanfran’s tackle and fed Isco, who was smothered by Atleti defenders. Bale had a pop when the loose ball fell to him but it comes to nothing.

Half-time in extra-time: Real 1 Atletico 1

Before the whistle went Griezmann tried a spectacular bicycle kick but it was well off target.

Ronnie Whelan — who hasn’t been in his best mood all night, to be honest — insisted the Frenchman could have done better and left it dropped more. And he’d know, in fairness.

Chimpanzeethat / YouTube

The consensus in Montrose is that Atleti’s character and desire to win will see them lift the trophy tonight. How do you see it unfolding?

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - UEFA Champions League - Final - San Siro EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

We’re back under way.

Felipe Luis is calling it a night. Lucas Hernandez is on.

A very tired looking Ronaldo hammers a free kick into the wall, in a moment that neatly summarises the game at the minute.

Real are dominating possession and are probing for an opening.

Chance for Vazquez! The ball is worked across the face fo the box and the Spanish striker needed to just take a touch and shoot but he took an age and the chance of a lifetime is gone.

Pepe — who’s been warned before — goes down holding his face again after a tangle with Carraso.

Carrasco says he has to go off while Pepe escapes punishment. Simeone presumably tells his player to stay exactly where he is as he stay on in the end.

Corner kick to Real in injury time of extra time…

Torres head away.

Full time in extra time: Real 1 Atleti 1: The 2016 Champions League final will be decided by penalties.

Are there 10 fit men able to take penalties out there?

It’s the sixth final in the last 16 to go to penalties, we’re told. Here we go in the Real Madrid end…

Real score their first. Vasquez in the bottom corner.

Real 1 Atleti 1 Griezmann makes no mistake the second time tonight. Respect.

Real 2 Atleti 1 Marcelo tucks it away.

Real 2 Atleti 2 Gabi, the skipper, belts it away.

Real Madrid 3 Atleti 2 Gaeth Bale stutter steps up to the ball and then dispatches it to the bottom corner.

Real 3 Atleti 3  Niguez scores

Real 4 Atleti 3 Sergio Ramos makes no mistake. Seven from seven.

Real 4 Atleti 3 Miss! Juanfran hits the butt of the post!

It looked like it came off his heel.

REAL MADRID WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!

Cristiano Ronaldo steps up, of course, and he puts it in the bottom corner.

Amazing stuff.

Zidane brings Real’s 11th European Cup to the Bernabeu while the wait and agony goes on for Atletico.

Here’s that shirt-stripping winning pen and some Atleti fan tears, if that’s what you’re into.
https://vine.co/v/iVaV2iPI1tF

Italy Soccer Champions League Final Manu Fernandez Manu Fernandez

So that’s it for another year.

It’s next stop, France and some glorious European Championships action.

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Why Ireland could be playing in blue in the not-too-distant future

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