Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Score, Grades, Reaction from UCL Match
A gripping game of football saw Atletico Madrid progress to the Champions League quarter-finals after they won a penalty shootout 3-2 following a match that finished 1-1 on aggregate at the Vicente Calderon.
The Bundesliga team led 1-0 from the first leg and had denied the La Liga champions a precious away goal.
But it was Atleti who took control from the start, looking to level the score on aggregate as soon as possible.
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However, it was Leverkusen winger Karim Bellarabi who had the best chance at the opening gambit, striking wide after 11 minutes.
Son Heung-min then went close for the German side from a corner, seeing Mario Mandzukic clear his effort and forcing Diego Simeone's team to quicken the pace.
Atletico then lost goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya to injury in the 22nd minute, with his deputy, Jan Oblak, replacing him.
The game turned into a proverbial boxing match, with Atleti starting to take the advantage.
Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe commented about the speed and of the battle and the excitement it produced:
It was the Calderon side that took the lead on 27 minutes; Mario Suarez's deflected shot was good enough to squeeze its way through the Leverkusen defence and into the net.
Sports Illustrated's Ryan Krasnoo caught the strike on social media:
Bundesliga writer and journalist Stefan Bienkowski spoke about Leverkusen's football, urging them to play a possession game and consider their overall approach to beating Atletico:
The second half continued with Atletico tails up and pushing for a crucial second goal.
However, the Spanish team struggled to create quality goalscoring opportunities despite their domination of territory.
Atleti had a sequence of corners and free-kicks, and it seemed a set piece might be enough to see a doubling of their lead.
But Leverkusen continually dealt with Koke's deliveries, and the game remained 1-0.
Simeone's side thought they had finally grabbed their second on 71 minutes, as Raul Garcia almost headed a Koke free-kick towards goal, denied only by the retreating Stefan Kiessling.
With the last 10 minutes on the clock, Atleti went hunting for the winner, with the German team penned back on the edge of their box.
The Calderon stands bubbled and brewed as their team pushed on for the winner, but the BayArena side soaked up their sustained pressure.
And despite a pulsating end, the game ended 1-0 (1-1 on aggregate), forcing extra time.
ESPN's Dermot Corrigan summarised proceedings and commented on the lack of quality chances:
The fixture limped through the first period of extra time, with bodies broken and Leverkusen looking for penalties.
Nerves were apparent, as Atletico appeared more static and unwilling to give the Germans the chance of a breakaway.
But the game burst back into life after the turnaround, as Garcia saw his excellent strike tipped wide, prompting a roar from the home crowd as the adrenaline pumped once again.
However, the Germans dug in and restricted a tired Atleti in the final third, with the match ending all square after 120 minutes of punishing football, prompting penalties.
And Atletico's shootout began in the worst possible fashion, as Garcia casually spooned his effort over the crossbar.
But Leverkusen matched Garcia's poor effort, as Hakan Calhanoglu hit the ball straight at the keeper.
Antoine Griezmann and Simon Rolfes both buried their efforts to make it 1-1, with Suarez giving Atleti the lead after a superb strike.
But then German hearts broke, as defender Omer Toprak missed the target. The drama then continued, as Koke saw his strike saved, letting the Germans back into the match.
Gonzalo Castro levelled the scores at 2-2, taking the game into a sudden-death scenario.
So up stepped folk hero Fernando Torres, and the substitute made sure his strike found the corner of the net, leaving the pressure on Kiessling to save the match.
But the Leverkusen sub could not hold his nerve and missed the target, sending the home crowd into rapture.
Atletico won the shootout 3-2 and progressed to the next round.
Selected Player Ratings
Antoine Griezmann: B-
The Frenchman was a lively force throughout the match but really put his foot on the accelerator late in the game as his team looked for the winner. But the finishing quality simply was not present against a resolute defence.
Griezmann has significantly improved since his move to the Calderon, and he is now one of the most prized attackers in Europe.
Mario Mandzukic: C-
It was not the strongest night for the Atletico striker, but he was a constant threat as his side racked up the set pieces.
He was eventually substituted for Torres, as Simeone rolled the dice in an attempt to win the tie.
Karim Bellarabi: C+
The 24-year-old Berlin-born winger was a counter-attack threat for most of the night and had his side's best chance in the first half.
His pace and movement were difficult for Atleti to track, but Leverkusen could not fully utilise his talent.
Post Match Reaction
Diego Simeone spoke of his delight after Atletico's penalty shootout victory on Tuesday, and gave special praise to the Vicente Calderon crowd, per Iain Rogers of The Independent:
"I am among the eight best teams in Europe again with Atletico and it gives me goose bumps to say it. The fans delight me. The supporters don't realise the strength they give the players."
And Leverkusen boss Roger Schmidt congratulated his opponent on their deserved win, and highlighted his team's lack of big game experience, per Rogers:
"We are a young team with little experience and it is not easy to hang in there at a stadium like Atletico's. In the shootout we lacked concentration and calm. After fighting so hard we are very disappointed. But the players gave their all and so we leave feeling satisfied.
"
The Spanish champions now progress to the quarter-final stage, with the draw taking place on March 20, streamed live on UEFA.com.
