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Isco kid wrecks Atletico bid as Real book final
REAL Madrid reached their 15th European Cup final – but rivals Atletico gave them an almighty scare with two early goals last night.
With Real 3-0 up from Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-leg hat-trick, the favourites were stunned as Saul and an Antoine Griezmann penalty put the home side 2-0 ahead after just 16 minutes.
The Vicente Calderon crowd, in the last European game to be played there, were rocking. Could they make history and come back from such a heavy first-leg deficit?
The answer was no, as Isco crucially hit back in the 42nd minute to give Real a hold they never relinquished. Real will play Juventus in the final in Cardiff on June 3 – and try to become the first team to win the Champions League back to back.
But how Atletico tried, taking a 12th-minute lead. Koke’s corner was met by Saul and although Keylor Navas got a hand to the ball, he was unable to keep it out.
Home fans were in red-and-white raptures when Fernando Torres then won a penalty from Raphael Varane’s
ATL MADRID
challenge. Left-footer Griezmann took it but his standing foot slipped. Navas got a hand to the ball but palmed it in. The incredulous home fans cried out, “Yes we can” as they dreamed of glory. But three minutes before the break those hearts were broken.
Karim Benzema superbly dribbled his way past three defenders tight on the byline to lay the ball back for Toni Kroos.
His shot was saved by Jan Oblak, but Isco pounced on the rebound to stab the ball home.
Star men Griezmann and Ronaldo were then both clattered, earning their aggressors yellow cards, as the temperature went up another notch.
Two minutes after the restart, Oblak punched out Ronaldo’s free-kick, but then Navas’s brilliant double save from Yannick Carrasco and substitute Kevin Gameiro snuffed out any final fading Atletico hopes. REPORTS JOSE Mourinho cranked up the stakes for tonight’s semi-final second leg by saying it is the most vital match in Manchester United’s history.
United may have been champions of the world twice, champions of Europe three times, lifted 20 league titles and countless domestic cups but none of that matters to Mourinho at this moment.
It is some leap from his stance back in September when he admitted the Europa League was a competition United did not want to be in.
But the way the season has panned out, he knows how vital it is for the future of the club not only to see off Celta Vigo – who United lead 1-0 – and progress to the final in Stockholm on May 24, but to lift the trophy because it offers back-door qualification to the Champions League.
Failing to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition once under David Moyes was a shock, a failure under Louis van Gaal in his second season was a disaster, but a third under Mourinho would be unthinkable.
“In terms of motivation, we are even,” he said. “For Celta, in their words, it’s the most important match of their history and my feeling is that it’s also the most important match of our history.
“It doesn’t matter what has happened before, what matters most is the next one. I don’t believe Celta want it more than we do.”
Mourinho has never failed to qualify for the Champions League with any of his previous top-flight clubs over a full season and does not want that record blemished in his first year in the job at Old Trafford.
Failure would not just be a financial blow – United would be hit to the tune of £20million in penalty clauses over the course of their contract with kit sponsors Adidas and millions more in broadcasting and prize money.
Just as important is the damage to the club’s pride and prestige, not to mention their ability to attract transfer targets such as Antoine Griezmann.
“I am not thinking about myself,” said Mourinho, with a straight face. “I am thinking about the club and I am thinking about the players. For the club it will be very important to be in a European final again. It would be very important to fight for the only trophy the club has never won before.
“For the prestige and the finance, the Champions League is the Champions League. For myself and the players, the Champions League is the Champions League.
“If you are not there, it’s because you’re not good enough. If we do not go to the final, if we play in the Europa League next season, it is because we are not good enough. So maybe it’s the step we need to take.
“If we win, it means we are strong enough to go to the final. The Champions League is the competition we want to be in. I want to focus on where we are. Nobody has more motivation than I have to try to win against Celta.
“We have a little group with European success – Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick