Atletico Madrid's 10 Greatest Games of the 21st Century: Nos. 3-2
With club football taking yet another international break, we’ve taken the opportunity to look back at Atletico Madrid’s rise to prominence during the 21st century through some of the matches which made them what they are today.
Throughout this week we’ll be remembering Atleti’s 10 greatest games since 2000, and we continue with Nos. 3-2.
3. Chelsea 1-3 Atletico Madrid, April 30, 2014—Champions League
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The first leg of this Champions League semi-final had been something of a non-event.
An expectant Vicente Calderon, hoping to roar Atletico Madrid towards a first European Cup final since 1974, instead witnessed a stoic, defensive contest between Jose Mourinho’s stubborn Chelsea side and an Atletico who struggled to break them down.
All of the attention had been on the returning Fernando Torres, who turned in an ineffectual performance up front as few chances were created.
The second leg was to be hugely different, though.
Torres led the Chelsea line again, and after a build-up of pressure from a host side looking to reach their third Champions League final in seven years, the Spanish forward and Atletico icon swept a centre from Cesar Azpilicueta goalwards in the 36th minute, with a slight deflection off Mario Suarez helping it find the corner of the net.
Even in such a huge match, Torres’ first reaction was to hold his hands up and apologise. Chelsea’s players surrounded him, but all he could do was bury his head into the chest of Branislav Ivanovic.
He was acutely aware of what he had just done, but in reality the Calderon icon and huge Atletico fan had only inspired his former team-mates to react. And how.
Within eight minutes, they’d scored the crucial away goal.
Tiago—another playing against his former club—clipped the ball around the back of a static Chelsea defence, where Juanfran arrived to prod the ball across the face of goal, and Adrian Lopez arrived to scuff a shot into the ground and up into the net. It wasn’t a goal to win many awards, but it was crucial.
Atleti were now ahead in the tie, and they preceded to swarm all over a stunned Chelsea side in the second period.
Shortly before the hour mark, they delivered the killer blow.
The ball hanging in the penalty area, a foolish decision from Chelsea forward Samuel Eto’o to leave his leg dangling out led to Atletico’s Diego Costa going down in the box and a penalty being awarded.
Costa—who would be calling Stamford Bridge home in just a matter of months—fired the spot kick high into the net past Mark Schwarzer, meaning Chelsea now needed two to reach the final.
In truth, they were now a beaten side. Thibaut Courtois, in goal for Atletico but on loan from Chelsea in another strange link between the clubs, had made a couple of fine saves earlier in the match but was barely tested towards the end.
And Atletico’s place in the final was sealed when Juanfran again got in around the back and found Arda Turan, whose header bounced back off the woodwork and straight to him. He prodded into the net to spark wild celebrations.
And Atletico were through to the Lisbon final, where they’d face city rivals Real Madrid—only to lose in heartbreaking fashion.
There was no wondering about that on this night at Stamford Bridge, though.
2. Real Madrid 1-2 Atletico Madrid, May 17, 2013—Copa Del Rey final
In many ways this was the victory which made the following season’s league title seem achievable, as Diego Simeone led Atletico to his first silverware as the club’s manager, and their first domestic success since the league and cup double of 1995/96.
Simeone was in the team back then, but here he showed himself to be a leader off the pitch as he oversaw a battling victory which stunned Real Madrid’s supporters at their own Bernabeu stadium.
There, the scene had been set for Real to earn what would have been only a second Copa Del Rey title in 20 years, but in the first all-Madrid final since 1992, it was to be Atleti who prolonged an impressive record of cup final wins against their rivals, with this making it four successes from five finals.
For a while, though, that looked as though it wasn’t going to be the case.
Real’s golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo fired his side in front with what has become almost a trademark leap and emphatic header into the net following a Mesut Ozil corner. The Bernabeu erupted, and it looked as though the script Atletico fans had dreaded was already being written just 14 minutes in.
But Simeone’s side regrouped, and they soon hauled their way back into the match.
Radamel Falcao—in what would be his final truly significant match for the club—dropped deep and cleverly picked up the ball, before shaking off the attentions of Raul Albiol and Sami Khedira then releasing Diego Costa to run at the Real defence.
And that is exactly what the then-Brazil international forward did, before his powerful. low, left-footed shot beat the despairing dive of Diego Lopez and found the net. Atleti’s players responded with huge roars to the crowd, where the Real fans simply sat looking stunned. On the touchline, Simeone clenched his fists. This was time to fight.
And a pulsating final then passed backwards and forwards in terms of both chances and initiative. Both sides had to be alert at the back, but both were ultimately denied the winning goal in normal time.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, a volcanic influence on the Bernabeu sidelines, was ultimately sent to the stands after one too many protestations, and the temperature of the match seemed to heat up the longer it went on.
The clash needed an extra 30 minutes, and it was in the ninth of those that the decisive blow was struck.
Gabi’s corner from the right was headed back to him, and when it was he produced a pin-point delivery into the box which was met by the onrushing Miranda. The Brazilian centre-back planted his header past Lopez, and all hell broke loose among the Atletico fans in the crowd.
This was to be an advantage that they would hold on to, with Ronaldo’s frustrations boiling over late on as he was sent off following a huge melee, and Gabi later joining him deep in stoppage time.
No matter though.
Atleti held on to seal a cherished and revelled in victory, after which Simeone wore a grin from ear to ear.
He, more than anyone, enjoyed getting one over on Atletico’s big rivals, and given that they earned a trophy for this one, it was all the sweeter.
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