Real Madrids La Decima Full time: Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid Or, as some Real fans will tell you, Real 10-0 Atletico. Its their tenth European Cup, their first since 2002, and they could barely have won it in more memorable circumstances: against their rivals, and having been 1-0 down going into injury time. Atletico Madrid were 150 seconds away from the greatest achievement in football history; instead it ends in what has already been described as disgrace, with Simeone on the field looking to engage Varane in a fist-based discussion. It was inappropriate, unbecoming, indefensible, and very, very funny. Still, ultimately tonight is about Real: Ramoss brilliant equaliser, the defining moment of Gareth Bales career, a tenth European Cup for Real - and, lest we forget, a third for Carlo Ancelotti, which takes him level with Bob Paisley. He won it twice as a player as well. SImeone is sent off! It seems like he is complaining over the amount of added time in which Ramos scored. Im not sure he has much to complain about in truth. Were still not sure what happened. ITS KICKING OFF! Simeone is on the pitch! I told you they wouldnt go quietly. Varane is involved, with Casillas leading himn away. His noggin has well and truly gone! Hes gonna punch someone, Simeone, says Gary Neville. Varane has been booked, Simeone seems to be inviting him to continue the dbate in the tunnel. GoalGOAL! Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid (Ronaldo 120) Ronaldo places the penalty into the net and takes off his shirt to reveal his six-pack and then strikes a preposterous Chris Eubank pose, apparently for the benefit of a bald steward in front of him. 120 min: PENALTY FOR REAL. This is cruel. Atletico have totally gone. Godin is penaltsed for a trip on Ronaldo. 118 min A question for pedants: now that its 3-1, has Gareth Bale scored the winning goal or is there no winning goal when the margin is more than one? GoalGOAL! Real Madrid 3-1 Atletico Madrid (Marcelo 118) Real Madrid are champions of Europe for the tenth time! Marcelo, who has played a huge part in this game as a substitute, runs to the edge of the area and drives a low shot through the left arm of the plunging Courtois. In truth Courtois should have done better but in reality this game was over from the moment Bale scored. 116 min If anyway can go again, Atletico can go again, but it looks too much even for them. They are attacking more than at any stage since early in the second half but that means counter attacking opportunities. 114 min A chance for Atletico! Casillas came for a long angled free kick from the halfway line, a ridiculous misjudgement, and got nowhere near. It fell to Tiago beyond the far post, and as it bounced up he lashed it high over the bar. It was an awkward chance in the sense that there were loads of bodies in the way; he should have put it back into the area. 113 min As we said earlier, Atletico will not go quietly. Get your money on a red card. 112 min Bale will take the credit - obviously, duh - but it was a stunning run from Di Maria, with some fancy footwork taking his past three defenders and clear on Courtois. GoalGOAL! Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid (Bale 110) Gareth Bale has put Real Madrid ahead! He missed a hat-trick of chances earlier but has surely scored the winner now! Di Maria surged down the left and ran between the weary Juanfran and Miranda to approach Courtois. He flicked it across goal with the outside of his foot, Courtois made a marvellous reaction save with his left foot, from where it looped teasingly towards the far post. Bale leapt early, read the spin and hunched his back to head the ball in just inside the post from a couple of yards. 110 min Juanfran can barely run now because of injury. 109 min A brainless foul from Ramos on Sosa down the right gives Atletico a breather. Gabi swings it deep, where the under pressure Godin can only head it down into the ground and up into Casillass arms. 108 min Modrics deflected 25-yard shot is comfortably saved by the sprawling Courtois. 107 min Atletico are totally shot. Real could sutrely afford to take greater risks, because the odds are so much in their favour as compared to a penalty competition. Its human nature to be relatively cautious, of course. 106 min Were off again. Atletico are starting to make some errors in their own third, the product of tired minds as much as tired bodies. A miskick from the hitherto immaculate Gabi sends the ball towards his own goal, and Miranda cleans up with an improvised shoulder clearance. Half time in extra time: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid A corner to Real in extra .... extraaaaa time, also known as stoppage time. Its headed down by Varane, 15 yards out, and claimed comfortably by Courtois. The whistle goes and then Simeone charges onto the field, wagging his finger angrily at the referee. Theres nothing good humoured about it this time! Thats magnificent. I suspect that was as much to rouse his team as vent his frustrations. 104 min Both Juanfran and Gabi could have been sent off there. Juanfran slid in on Ronaldo as Real broke, and he didnt get the ball. The free-kick was given, and Gabi ran in to hoof the ball away while the referee was otherwise dstracted. They both could have been given second yellows. It seemed like the referee twigged that it was Juanfran, one of the players on a yellow (actually, are there any players not on a yellow?) and acted or rather didnt act accordingly. But its hard to be sure as there was a mass of bodies. The other thing is that is seemed Ronaldo might have dived over Juanfran, though again its hard to be sure either way. 103 min The admirable, indefatigable Gabi harasses Carvajal into conceding a corner on the Atletico left. Its a poor one from Sosa and cleared by Morata in front of the near post. 102 min Varane has quietly had an excellent game tonight. He is going to be quite some player. 101 min It hits the elbow of the leaping Gabi and spins across goal for a corner. Ronaldo implores the referee to give a penalty. To the naked eye it seemed to come off Gabis head, though replays clearly showed it was his elbow (which was, in fairness, tight to his body) On Sky, Martin Tyler suggests a Spanish referee would have given it, hence the vehemence of the appeal. As things stand, Ronaldo will have to take a penalty in around half an hours time. 100 min Gabi is booked for a desperate foul on the increasingly dangerous Marcelo. Its a free-kick to Madrid, 20 yards out and a fair way left of centre. Perfect for a Ronaldo beach-ball wobbler... 98 min Marcelo weaves into the area and belabours the ball across the six-yard line. Miranda, whose positioning is excellent, makes a vital block at the near post. 97 min Ronaldo is doing with cramp. Gareth Bale, the worlds most expensive physio, helps him out. Koke is also struggling, with cramp I think. Its amazing how often extra time passes by in a blur of stoppages and scruffy play, with both sides unconsciously settling for penalties. Real should not do that here; they have a clear advantage. 96 min Juanfran is limping after a challenge with Morata. Both sides have used all their substitutes. Its a triuhmph of the human spirit for Atletico to still be in this at all, because it felt like the entire season - all those games, not much rotation - suddenly smacked into them after around 65 minutes. 94 min A quiet start to extra time. Atletico would surely take penalties now. Real might not, especially after the horror of Bayern in the semi-finals two years ago. 92 min That goal was coming throughout the final quarter of normal time. The surprise is not that Atletico conceded, but that they held out until the 93rd minute. They were battered and, crucially, they had nothing to give on the counter-attack. 91 min Extra time is under way. Atletico won the league with a header by a defender from a right-wing corner; the same routine has denied them the Champions League, at least for now. Simeone shakes the referees hand, waves five fingers to signal five minutes added time and shakes his head. It all seems remarkably good humoured though. He is an extraordinary specimen of humanity. Full time: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid We will have extra time. To nick a line from Daniel Harris, and with Atletico fans in mind: Hell, bloody football. Simeone actually bounced straight to his feet after the goal, waving his hands at his players, telling them to go again. Surely not even Atletico, a team for whom adversity is oxygen, have anything left to give here. GoalGOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (Ramos 90+3) Atletico have been Schwarzenbecked again! This is unbelievable! A corner from the right was swung out towards the penalty spot by Modric. Ramos got clear of everyone and powered a masterful header across Courtois and into the far corner. That is such an accomplished header at the best of times, never mind in context. There was nobody on the line, or if they was they ran out when the corner was swung out. Were heading for extra-time, says Martin Tyler. Are we? says Gary Neville. 90+2 min I wonder what Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck is doing right now. Real are now playing a modern interpretation of the W-M formation. A wonderful header from Alderweireld at the far post concedes a corner, with Ramos clambering all over him. 90+1 min Real have lost the plot for the time being and are giving away silly fouls that allow Atletico to waste 20 or 30 seconds a pop. There will be five minutes of added time. For now Atletico have a free-kick 20 yards from goal, a fair way to the left of centre. Casilllas claims comfortably. 89 min Villa wins the ball off Bale, keeps possession calmly and then draws a foul from Carvajal. Simeone roars at the Atletico fans, imploring them to cheer their team over the line. This is an astonishing story, one of the greatest in all football history. 88 min As a piece of art this game has been pretty poor. As a piece of drama, it has been utterly glorious. Atletico get a breather when Morata fouls an Atletico defender. 87 min Di Maria, rather than Ronaldo, takes the free-kick. Tiago heads clear, Di Maria collects and wins a corner. 86 min Koke is booked for kicking the ball away. Real have a free-kick right on the left edge of the box. 85 min A senastional piece of defending from the right-back Juanfran keeps Atletico ahead! I cannot tell you how good that is, says Gary Neville. A deep cross from the left was headed back across the face by Ronaldo. Marceloa was storming onto it, with Courtois out of the game and a simple header into the net from four yards. But Juanfrans Spidey senses alerted him to the danger just in time and he came round from the side of Marceloa to make an amazing flying block. Id love to describe it in greater detail but this whole thing is utterly breathless. Real are camped in Atleticos third. 84 min Real work the ball all the way across the edge of the area until somebody - Im not sure who - plays a stunning pass/cross along the face of goal, three yards out. It beats Courtois, who might have let it go actually, and comes to a Madrid player beyond the far post. Its dinked back in but by now Courtois is on his feet to claim well. 82 min Now Filipe Luis is down. Theyre at it here, says Gary Neville. Luis is going off, however, with Toby Alderweireld on to replace him. That break gave Atleticos players 90 seconds respite. 81 min Godin is waving his hands furiously, trying to get his teammates up the field. They cant. If Real score its hard to see Atletico coming again for extra time. They have nine minutes plus stoppage time to hang on. Gabi is fouled by Morata and rolls around, clearly trying to eat up time. Ramos doesnt like it and marches over to make a few observations regarding the colour of the kettle. 80 min Atletico are on their last legs, having given a crazy amount all season. Godin makes a crucal clearance a few yards from goal when Isco brilliantly pulls down Carvajals near-post cross. They cannot get out of their own third, never mind their own half. There is nothing left. 79 min Reals final substitution:: Benzema on, Alvaro Morata on. 78 min: Bale makes it a hat-trick of missed chances. He slaughtered Godin for pace, running infield from the right after receiving the ball 40 yards from goal. It was an exhilarating surge that took him into the area - but again he poked it a few yards wide of the near post, under pressure from the recovering Godin. 75 min Atletico are under huge pressure now. They have pretty much declared at 1-0 and are concentrating entirely on seeing out the last 15 minutes. 74 min Juanfran is booked for a sliding foul near the halfway line. The resulting free kick is pumped deep, headed back by Varane and volleyed acrobatically over the bar by Ronaldo, 10 yards out. He was under plenty of pressure from Miranda so it wasnt much of a chance. 73 min Another chance for Bale! It wasnt as easy as the first but he will probably feel he should have scored, or at least worked Courtois. Modric played a penetrative pass from centre to right to Ronaldo. He touched it infield first time to Bale, who has haring from right to centre and toebunged it a couple of yards wide from the edge of the area. 72 min Sosa moves down the right and plays an extremely angerous cross into the corridor between defenders and goalkeeper. Casillas gets there just before VIlla, who clatters him in his follow through and is booked, maybe a little harshly. Casillas mde nothing of it. 71 min Marcelos very deep cross finds Bale, who miscontrols it with his arm and is penaltised. You could say he has had a poor match, but the same is true of Ronaldo and Benzema. The alternative interpretation is that Atletico havent allowed them to play well. The truth is, of course, somewhere in the middle. 70 min Di Maria plays a lovely one two with Marcelo, breaks into the area from the left - but then seems undecided whether to pass or shoot. He ends up stabbing the ball across the area and Atletico lump it clear. That was a chance. 69 min Atletico have moved to a 4-5-1. I know this because Gary Neville just told me. The midfield is Adrian left, Sosa right, Koke alongside Tiago and Gabi. The next 21 minutes are of monumental importance. 67 min A decent move involving Modric, Ronaldo and Benzema ends with Isco screwing a low shot comfortably wide from 20 yards. Real havent been reduced to wild potshots, which can be hard to resist in such circumstances, and that was a legitimately shooting opportunity. 66 min Atletico make their second substitution, with the midfielder Jose Sosa replacing Raul Garcia. 64 min Atletico win consecutive corners on the left. The second is headed away with considerable authority by Varane, under pressure a few yards from his own goal. But Real cant get out and moments later win another corner. Its a poor one and hoofed away at the near post. 62 min Real have certainly emerged from their sulk either side of half-time, and there is a manic, desperate air to their attacking now. It almost feels like the last 10 minutes. Ramos moves down the left and plays an excellent cross towards the six-yard line. Ronaldo has the run on Godin, leaps imperiously - but he just cant quite get high enough and flicks it wide of the far post. Had he not made contact, it might have been put in by Benzema at the far post. 61 min Gabis dangerous cross from the right is just about to drop onto Adrians head when Varane makes a crucial headed clearance. If youre giving Man of the Match awards out after an hour Gabi wins this hands down, says Gary Neville of Atleticos captain. 59 min Yep, its Marcelo for Coentrao and Isco for Khedira. 58 min Real are preparing two substitutes, Isco and Marcelo, presumably for Coentrao and the ineffective Khedira. 57 min The resulting corner is recycled by Atletico and dumped back into the box from the left. It breaks to Adrian, whose snap half-volley from 15 yards hits the inside of Kheidras leg and deflects not far wide of the far post. 56 min And now a chance at the other end! Carvajal makes a mistake down the Atletico left, allowing Adrian to beat him to a loose ball and move into the box near the byline. But then Adrian takes too long to select an option and Carvajal slides round to concede a corner. 54 min The free-kick hits the head of a defender in the wall and spins a little awkwardly towards Courtois, who leaps to flick it over the bar. It was a comfortable save in the end. The resulting corner breaks to Ronaldo, whose instinctive shot from eight yards deflects wide. That brings another corner, which the backpedalling Ronaldo heads not far wide from 15 yards. Courtois had that covered. But that was just what Real needed to give them some impetus. 52 min Real are struggling at the moment. Khediras attempted through ball is nowhere near anybody except Courtois. Saying which, a glorious slalolm from Di Maria takes him to within 25 yards of goal, where Miranda deliberately pulls him back and does everything accept ask the referee for a yellow card. Di Maria has been Reals best attacker by a distance. Atletico are spending an age organising their wall. The free-kick is in a really dangerous position for Ronaldo, to the left of centre and maybe 23 yards out... 51 min Kokes left-wing cross bounces across the line of the area to Raul Garcia, who cant control the ball as it bounces up and spanks a first-time shot high over the bar with his left foot. 49 min Real havent started the half particularly well. They need something - a near miss, even some old-fashioned aggro - to spark them, their fans and particularly Ronaldo into life. 48 min Gabi is penalised for a foul on Modric, just past the centre circle. They are very good at those small, ostensibly clumsy fouls which break up play but tend not to bring a yellow card. Claude Makelele was a master of that particular art. 46 min As the second half kicks off, a great stat from Martin Tyler on Sky: Ronaldo and Benzema didn ot touch the ball in the Atletico area in the first half. Bale did it once, when he missed that chance. E-mail Half-time emails Evan Fanning: This could kick off nicely in the second half. Atletico to win 2-1 and finish with eight men is my prediction. Craig Whalley: Real Madrid are known as el Madrid, and Atletico de Madrid as el Atleti, so Steve Gerrard was very much correct in referring to them as just Madrid, thats how they are differentiated in Spain fella. Half time: Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo stomps off with the definition of an aggrieved coupon. Atletico have, thus far, done a textbook number on Real, deny them space in attack and scoring from a set piece. Real spent the 10 minutes after the goal having an extended sulk, and half time came a good time for them. They need a rousing team talk from Carlo Ancelotti - just the sort, in fact, that Atletico got at the Nou Camp seven days ago. See you 10 minutes for the second half. 45+1 min Khedira is rightly booked for a foul on Villa, wh duped it beautifully just short of the halfway line. 45 min Real get a corner on the left. Di Marias outswinger is headed away by Villa. One for all. 44 min Somewhere in the world, George Graham has a Joker-sized smile on his face. He must absolutely love this degree of defensive excellence and organisation. 42 min Real have lost their way a bit after going behind. Its so important, yet so difficult, to keep your patience in circumstances like this, as we saw in the match between Liverpool and Chelsea. At the moment Atletico are having their best spell of the match in terms of possession, and Real look like a side who need half time to have, as Martin Tyler says on Sky, a head-clearing exercise. They are sulking a little. 40 min Real are getting increasingly frustrated with the number of play-breaking fouls committed by Atletico. They must be particularly worried by Atleticos right-wing corners, and another one nearly brings a second goal: a drilled corner from Koke and a flashing near-post header from Adrian that doesnt go too far over the bar. 37 min Diego Godin, its fair to say, has had a pretty good week. GoalGOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid (Godin 35) A bad mistake from Iker Casillas gives Atletico the lead! Its Diego Godin again, the centre back who scored the title-winning goal at Barcelona seven days ago. A corner from the right was half cleared by the head of a Real defender, and the defence charged out - with the exception of one or two stragglers, Modric among them I think. It was nodded back into the area, Casillas came into no mans land, and Godin got above Khedira near the penalty spot to loop a gentle header towards goal. Casillas ran back desperately and clawed the ball out, but it was behind the line when he did so and Raul Garcia put it back in the net to be doubly sure. Had Casillas stayed on his line Godin could not have scored. He did, and Atletico are ahead completely against the run of play. Smash y grab. 33 min Moments before the Bale chance there was some mild farce in the Real area, with Adrians deflected long-range shot pinballing around while various players on both sides had desperate hacks at it, though at no stage was there a significant chance for Atletico. 32 min What a chance for Gareth Bale! Tiago played an awful square pass to him, 45 yards out. Bale hared straight for goal, moving smoothly into the area. He ignored a sliding tackle from behind by Tiago - had he gone down it would have been a penalty - but then stabbed it wide of the far post from 12 yards. He should have scored. 30 min Koke again goes to ground and commits a foul on Carvajal near the halfway line, and again isnt booked. Hes pretty fortunate, certainly in the current climate. In 1994 nobody would have batted an eyelid. 29 min Koke is lucky not to be booked for a sliding foul on Carvajal near the halfway line. Simeone bounces to his feet to engage the fourth official. They say a team mirrors their manager, says Gary Neville on Sky. This one certainly does. 28 min After all that, the free-kick: 30 yards out, to the left of centre. Ronaldo hit an awkward effort, straight through a weirdly split wall, which is expertly held by Courtois despite the ball bouncing awkwardly in front of him. 26 min A dangerous inswinging cross from Raul Garcia on the left is shanked over his own bar by Sergio Ramos. Atleticos first corner, to be taken by Koke on the right. They scored in such circumstances at the Nou Camp last week; this time Varane heads away authoritatively and Real break menacingly. Di Maria is deliberately taken down by Raul Garcia 30 yards out, a clear yellow card. It all kicks out thereafter, with Ramos also booked for pushing Raul Garcia. I think Gabi might have shoved his arm in Coentraos face, though if he did he got away with it. 23 min Sergio Ramos yelps at the assistant referee, pointing at his boot, after a tackle from Adrian, who stood on the back of his heel. Nothing was given so Atletico have a throw-in deep on the right. Its worked well between Gabi and Juanfran, whose cross is backheaded away from danger by Carvajal. Moments later Real have the chance of a break for the first time in the game, but in the blink of an eye Atletico have seven or eight men back and a few of them crowd out Di Maria on the edge of the area. 22 min Gabi is penalised for fouling Di Maria down the wing. The ball actually broke for Coentrao, who surged into the area from the left, but by then the referee had blown for the foul. Courtois is not entirely enamoured. Modric swings a poor free kick straight into Courtois hands. 21 min Bale draws three defenders towards him and lays it off to the overlapping Carvajal, whose cross deflects straight into the secure embrace of Courtois. Its hasnt been a great first quarter. 19 min Miranda serenely plays his way out of trouble 30 yards from goal, but then Atletico give it away again. Its almost like they need the adversity of going behind to bring them to life, as against Chelsea and Barcelona. 16 min Theres a lively exchange of views between Coentrao and the Atletico captain Gabi after a foul by Coentrao. My Spanish lip-reading isnt the best but I think what Gabi said translates as Begone you bothersome neer-do-well. 15 min So far Atletico have been as poor going forward as they have been excellent defensively. Maybe the Costa situation was a distraction but there has been an unusual sloppiness and lack of concentration in possession. 14 min It does need a goal, to be honest. 13 min Real are still having all of the ball, but Atletico are so well organised that they are struggling to penetrate the first bank of four, never mind the second. Its an intriguing game at the moment, though devoid of excitement. I give it no more than 10 minutes before somebody says it needs a goal. 11 min Ronaldo pleads to the referee for a free-kick after a zesty challenge from Raul Garcia. Atletico are, in the parlance of our time, putting themselves about a wee bit. Though there hasnt really been anything untowards, just some common-or-garden free kicks. 9 min: Diego Costa has gone off injured! Thats farcical really, says Gary Neville on Sky. Theres no way you can recover from a hamstring in a week. Adrian Lopez comes on to replace him. Costa jogged off, so it appears he didnt tear it again, but clearly he knew he couldnt carry on. Whereas last week came as a shock, and made him cry, this time you suspect he expected it. What a strange situation. This might also be his last match as an Atletico player. 6 min Benzema, on the edge of the area, tries a slightly frivolous backflick through to Bale, who had run off Juanfran. The ball runs through to Courtois. With a better ball Bale would have been in, though it wasnt easy for Benzema. 5 min Atletico are defending deep, as youd expect, and thus far almost all of the game has been played by Real in front of Atleticos Two Banks of Four. 4 min Ronaldos wins a header on the halfway line and is shoved over by the late-arriving Miranda. Ronaldo looks mildly affronted; the referee rightly settles for a free-kick. 3 min Real have had almost all of the ball so far although, as we said before the game, its hard to know if thats a good thing or not, especially after what happened in the semi-final. No incidents of note. 1 min Real get us under way, kicking from right to left. The first foul comes after 11 seconds, Filipe Luis on Bale
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 00:18:59 +0000
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