Atletico Madrid have booked their place in the final of the Champions League despite a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
The Spanish outfit had a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg, and a second-half strike from Antoine Griezmann in Munich proved to be decisive as Diego Simeone’s side went through on away goals following a 2-2 draw on aggregate.
The fit-again Jerome Boateng was the creator by picking out a lofted through-ball over the top for Thomas Muller, but the German attacker chose to pass to Robert Lewandowski when he could have gone for goal himself, and Oblak was able to thwart the striker.
Philipp Lahm then blazed a decent opening off target after the ball dropped to the skipper at the back post, but the opening goal of the night did arrive shortly after the half-hour mark when Xabi Alonso’s free kick deflected off Jose Gimenez and in – the first goal Atletico had conceded in more than 10-and-a-half hours of football.
Gimenez was heavily involved again just two minutes later as Bayern pushed for a quickfire second, with the young centre-back hauling Javi Martinez to ground from a corner to concede a penalty.
Muller, who was left out of the first leg last week, stepped up to take the spot kick, but his firm drive was too close to Oblak, who denied the Bayern man from 12 yards.
It was a typical counter-attacking goal from the visitors too, with Antoine Griezmann exchanging passes with Fernando Torres to race through on goal before keeping his composure to bury his finish past Neuer and into the bottom corner.
Lewandowski did pull one back with just over 15 minutes remaining, however, as he nodded home from close range after Vidal had steered a header of his own back across the face of goal.
That gave the home side a glimmer of hope, although that appeared to be extinguished when Atletico were awarded a penalty seven minutes from time for a Martinez foul on Torres which appeared to have taken place outside the area.
Torres stepped up himself, but his penalty was almost a carbon copy of Muller’s from earlier in the match and Neuer made the save to keep his side in the tie.Atletico secures third ever UCL final
Bowale Odutola
Atletico Madrid have booked their place in the final of the Champions League despite a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
The Spanish outfit had a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg, and a second-half strike from Antoine Griezmann in Munich proved to be decisive as Diego Simeone’s side went through on away goals following a 2-2 draw on aggregate.
The fit-again Jerome Boateng was the creator by picking out a lofted through-ball over the top for Thomas Muller, but the German attacker chose to pass to Robert Lewandowski when he could have gone for goal himself, and Oblak was able to thwart the striker.
Philipp Lahm then blazed a decent opening off target after the ball dropped to the skipper at the back post, but the opening goal of the night did arrive shortly after the half-hour mark when Xabi Alonso’s free kick deflected off Jose Gimenez and in – the first goal Atletico had conceded in more than 10-and-a-half hours of football.
Gimenez was heavily involved again just two minutes later as Bayern pushed for a quickfire second, with the young centre-back hauling Javi Martinez to ground from a corner to concede a penalty.
Muller, who was left out of the first leg last week, stepped up to take the spot kick, but his firm drive was too close to Oblak, who denied the Bayern man from 12 yards.
It was a typical counter-attacking goal from the visitors too, with Antoine Griezmann exchanging passes with Fernando Torres to race through on goal before keeping his composure to bury his finish past Neuer and into the bottom corner.
Lewandowski did pull one back with just over 15 minutes remaining, however, as he nodded home from close range after Vidal had steered a header of his own back across the face of goal.
That gave the home side a glimmer of hope, although that appeared to be extinguished when Atletico were awarded a penalty seven minutes from time for a Martinez foul on Torres which appeared to have taken place outside the area.
Torres stepped up himself, but his penalty was almost a carbon copy of Muller’s from earlier in the match and Neuer made the save to keep his side in the tie.
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