IT’S OVER TO Lisbon where Madrid’s big two meet in the Champions League final for the first time.
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Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid
Greetings from the Estádio da Luz! It has already been an afternoon jam-packed with sporting goodness but the most highly-anticipated fixture of the day is undoubtedly (in our humble opinion) the meeting of city rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League showcase.
Before we get into the build-up, we’ve got some pretty huge news…
Atleti’s main man Diego Costa has been passed fit to play and STARTS in Diego Simeone’s team. The Brazilian-born Spanish international was sent to Serbia to undergo a special horse placenta treatment on his hamstring injury and it seems to have worked as he has been named in the first XI.
Team-mate Arda Turan, on the other hand, has not been so luck and doesn’t even make the bench.
Here are the line-ups:
Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Coentrao; Khedira, Modric, Di Maria; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Atletico Madrid: Courtois; Juanfran, Godin, Miranda, Filipe Luis; Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Raul Garcia; Villa, Diego Costa.
For Real, defender Pepe has not be able to shake off a calf problem meaning young French international Raphael Varane deputises. With Xabi Alonso suspended after picking up a yellow card in the semi-final second leg with Bayern Munich, there is a return to action for Sami Khedira in midfield.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, will be looking to win the competition for the second time. It will be extra special this time around however, as the final takes place in his homeland.
Atleti have already beaten Real to the La Liga title this season but Los Blancos did win the Copa del Rey. The past three meetings between the sides have seen Real win twice with the other ending in a 2-2 draw.
So, who do you see the game going?
Poll Results:
The suspended Xabi Alonso looks chuffed to be in the Sky Sports studio instead of preparing to take to the field…
Brave lads…
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The guys at SuperRockGames have predicted an early goal for Atleti through Diego Costa and reconstructed it through the magic of 8-bit football:
Real Madrid are on the quest for La Decima — a tenth European Cup final. They are the club who have won the competition most times but it is 14 years since their last triumph.
Back in 2002, an exquisite volley from Zinedine Zidane saw them overcome Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at Hamden Park.
Before we get underway, have a quick read of Miguel Delaney’s letter from Lisbon.
IT WASN’T UNTIL close to 2am around Chiado, the hub of Lisbon’s nightlife, that you got a proper sense a Champions League final was taking place in the city.
At that point, a group of Real Madrid shirts suddenly emerged into the centre of the narrow Terassa da Cara and began a few good-natured taunts towards the handful of Atletico jerseys. Diego Simeone, it seems, isn’t quite held in such high esteem right across the Spanish capital…
The piece in full is here.
Here we go, teams are on the way out. It’s a particularly tough one to call and while my heart says Atleti, my head is going with Real.
I know, I know.. talk about sitting on the fence! Let’s just enjoy it.
We’ve kicked off and the 2014 Champions League final is officially underway.
That’s an impressive sight.
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Daniel Carvajal goes bombing down the right flanks and flings a pass into the feet of Karim Benzema, who opts to attempt a through-pass instead of taking a touch but it’s overhit.
Down the other end, Diego Costa gets his first chance to cause some havoc in the Real box but can’t win his side a corner under pressure from a couple of defenders.
Wow, the gamble hasn’t paid off for Atleti. Diego Costa has lasted just 9 minutes before trudging off. He’s clearly not right. So much for horse placenta then!
He’s now seated on the bench. Adrian Lopez was the man to replace Costa, by the way.
Coentrao has a couple of bites at dispossessing Gabi and the Atletico captain isn’t happy with the challenges.
20 minutes on the clock and we’ve seen nothing by way of meaningful goal chances in what has been an unsurprisingly nervy final so far.
Real have a free-kick 25 yards out on the left-side of goal but Luka Modric’s delivery is straight into the hands of Thibaut Courtois.
Ronaldo breaks free for the first time tonight and plays Benzema into the channel on the right. However, Atleti get back in numbers and reclaim possession after putting a block in.
David Villa curls a ball into the front post where Sergio Ramos swings a leg but gets his clearance wrong and puts the ball behind for a corner.
From there, Real break through Di Maria and the Argentine winger skips inside before being chopped down by Raul Garcia — who picks up a yellow card. taking one for the team there.
Sergio Ramos has also been cautioned for his protests after the foul.
Ronaldo’s free-kick is well-struck but far too central to trouble Courtois. Moments later, Koke brings down Carvajal while tracking back.
Oh dear, that will go down as a big chance missed. Tiago gives away possession in the centre of the park and Gareth Bale storms forward. The Welshman avoids a tackle or two and looks to find the bottom corner but shoots wide of the mark.
GOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid (Diego Godin)
The deadlock has been broken and it’s the red side of Madrid who take the lead. Atleti win a corner which is cleared to the edge of the box. The ball is headed back into the mixer and Uruguayan defender Diego Godin gets up to loop it over Iker Casillas.
Khedira takes the legs from underneath Villa and picks up a yellow card.
Half-time: Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid
Great pic!
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And we’re back with the second half. It has been an extremely quiet night for Cristiano Ronaldo so far. Can he drag his side back into this tie?
Real are trying to take control of play but it’s just not happening at the moment. Atleti get forward in numbers and Koke fires a cross to the opposite side of the pitch, where Raul Garcia tries an ambitious volley — which sails high and wide.
That’s a cynical challenge from Miranda, who wraps his arm around Di Maria and concedes a free 30 yards out. Ronaldo and Bale stand over it…
Ronaldo’s set-piece clips the wall and Courtois has to help it over the bar. A scramble in the box sees them earn a second corner and Ronaldo heads a couple of yards wide.
Adrian Lopez gets the better of Carvajal and wins a corner for Atletico. Koke’s initial cross finds its way back out to the Spaniard and Garcia drills a shot into the ground and off a defender.
Ancelotti is about to make a double substitution with Marcelo and Isco readying themselves.
The players to make way are Coentrao and Khedira, who looked short on fitness.
That was close. Ronaldo, with a trademark salmon-like leap, gets onto the end of a Ramos cross but nods it a yard wide of the post. In making contact, he also seemed to take it off Benzema, who was loitering dangerously.
Diego Simeone is sending on his compatriot Jose Sosa, with Raul Garcia making way.
Decent build-up from Real with Modric, Ronaldo and Benzema all involved in setting up Isco but he can only drag his shot wide.
Atleti come close with David Villa throwing himself at the ball and catching Casillas as a result. The former Barcelona man (rather harshly) is shown a yellow card.
Real come close again as Modric lays off to Bale and he drives a strike just off-target.
Juanfran then receives a caution for a foul and Ronaldo slices over when the free-kick is sent into the box.
Bale uses his pace to drive by Godin and he looks ready to let fly. His effort is a weak one, however, and hits the sidenetting.
Benzema is off with Alvaro Morato coming on for the final 13 minutes.
We’re into the final ten minutes and it is backs against the wall for Atletico at the moment.
Gabi and Feilipe Luis are both down injured at the moment as Atleti attempt to run down a minute or two.
Ronaldo heads across the six-yard box and Marcelo is well-placed to make it his but Juanfran recovers brilliantly to get a boot to the ball and clear what would surely have been a goal.
That’s the 90 minutes up. We’ll have five minutes of time added on.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (Sergio Ramos)
Wow. Just wow. Ramos gets a yard of space and heads past Courtois in the final seconds of the game. You wanted drama…?
Full-time: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Stick the kettle on and get yourselves ready for extra-time.
We’re into extra-time. There are some tired legs out there already but who’s going to have that extra bit left in the tank?
Marcelo, not long on the field, gets way down the left and drives a low ball into the box but it’s cleared.
The Brazilian does something similar moments later and is taken down by Atleti skipper Gabi, who is booked for the challenge.
Ronaldo with the free-kick and not for the first time tonight, it clips the wall.
Juanfran slides in on Ronaldo and is lucky to avoid a second yellow card.
The whistle for half-time in extra-time goes and Diego Simeone sprints onto the pitch to have a word with referee Bjorn Kuipers.
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid (Gareth Bale)
Incredible scenes. Di Maria finds space on the left flank and sees his shot saved by Courtois but Bale is on-hand to head into an empty net for what could prove the winner.
GOAL! Real Madrid 3-1 Atletico Madrid (Marcelo)
Atletico are out on their feet now and there is space all over the place. First, Ronaldo slips when he looks like scoring. Then Marcelo advances forward and shoots under the body of Courtois.
PENALTY TO REAL MADRID…
Godin brings down Ronaldo and this could be four.
GOAL! Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo)
Crazy scenes. Simeone has completely lost it and is on the pitch to have a go.
Full-time (aet): Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid
So Real Madrid finally get their hands on La Decima after 12 years of asking. You have to feel for Atletico, who put in a crazy amount of work to keep their rivals out for 93 minutes but, in the end, you couldn’t begrudge Real.
Several of their players may not have shone throughout but the moments that will be remembered are Ramos’ late equaliser and Ronaldo sealing the victory from the spot.
