Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will decide who will represent the Spanish capital in the Champions League semi-finals next week at the Bernabeu as their match in the Vicente Calderon ends in a goalless draw.
Report by Madi Williamson
Atletico Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid
UEFA Champions League quarter-final action kicked off in Madrid with a tantalizing Madrid derby, the 0-0 result an accurate representation of an even contest between two of Europe’s finest. Los Blancos were the first to attack in front of the Atletico fans at the Vicente Calderon through the speedy Gareth Bale. The Welshman found himself in a one-on-one situation with Oblak after he made easy work of Godin and cut inside the area. His shot was snuffed out by the keeper. Real Madrid’s star-spangled front line was not playing with any real sense of urgency; their best chances came from spectacular efforts from Gareth Bale, who kept Atletico’s young Slovenian keeper busy, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were relatively quiet for the first forty-five. Luca Modric had some stunning cracks at goal but both of his efforts in the first half skimmed over the bar and were no real threat to Oblek.
The visitor’s defensive unit had done their homework and made sure to keep Atletico’s dangerous French attacker Antoine Greizmann under close guard. Greizmann’s speed and thrilling creativity has been a key aspect of Atletic’s success in front of goal in La Liga, the young Frenchman tirelessly feeding balls in to dangerous areas or having cracks at goal himself.
Of the attacking opportunities that Atletico created for themselves, they were wasted with panicked efforts on goal. The only real threat on Casillas’s goal in the first half came from none other than Greizmann in the 36th minute, forcing a world class save from the Spanish keeper. At the end of the first half, both teams had created some good chances on goal, testing both keepers, but for the most part the battle was for possession of the ball.
At the start of the second forty-five, Simeone’s men came out and maintained their calculated style of play. The home side sacrificed numbers forward to keep their back four and a defensive midfielder back to hold off Real Madrid’s rapid counter-attacks, leaving the visitors frustrated. Madrid possessed the ball well and waited for gaps to appear for a clear shot at goal but the tireless defending and Oblek’s steady hands continuously denied Ronaldo and company while on the other end of the field, Ramos and Varane kept a close eye on Greizmann while his strike-partner Mandzukic was clobbered.
Koke was sacrificed for Fernando Torres with ten minutes from time to try and bulk up the attack but at the end of the day, the stalemate was an accurate representation of a well-matched game with good performances from both keepers. The side to represent Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals will be decided in a week’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
