Little Pea leaves it late to put Real in last four

On-loan United striker hits late winner to put Real in the semi-finals

HE IS only on loan for a season but Javier Hernandez will be adored here at the Santiago Bernabeu long after he returns to Manchester United this summer.

Because, after almost 180 minutes of Champions League deadlock between these fierce city rivals, the man known as Little Pea scored arguably the biggest goal of his career to settle this tense and at times explosive quarter-final.

A red card for Arda Turan proved the turning point, with the dogged, determined Atletico losing their Turkish international to what Diego Simeone is sure to consider a harsh second yellow card for a foul on the theatrical Sergio Ramos.

But an opportunity it nevertheless remained for Real, and an opportunity that came after a jinking run from Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned by a sweeping, close range finish from the irrepressible Mexican.

It marked the end of a difficult run against Atletico for Real.

Seven times already this season they had met the side they encountered in last year’s Champions League final and seven times they had failed to beat them.

But Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has this habit of beating them when it matters most in Europe and he did so again here last night.

What an extraordinary night. As early as two hours before kick-off the streets around this magnificent stadium were packed with people, their rhythmic chanting rivalled only by the hum of the police helicopters hovering overhead.

Champions League nights between two teams from the same country have this special quality. Rarely has an atmosphere been greater in English football than when Chelsea travelled to Anfield for that first semi-final back in 2005.

Both managers had to make changes to the sides that met at the Vicente Calderon in that goalless first leg — between them seven in all — but Ancelotti’s side still looked potent with Hernandez joining Ronaldo and Rodriguez in attack.

Deploying Ramos in midfield remained a curious decision, however. After all, only once before had the Italian tried it and after losing 2-1 to Barcelona he admitted to making a mistake.

If there were doubts in the mind of the Spanish international, he did not show it. One of his first touches was a cross-field ball he stroked with confidence, although he did then make more than he should have of a clip across the chin from Saul Niguez.

The game was following a familiar pattern when these two meet, with Real pressing deep in the half of the well-drilled Atletico. Hernandez and Rodriguez combined well only for the striker on loan from Manchester United to shoot selfishly into the side-netting, while Ronaldo also threatened from distance. Simeone — simmering and animated on the sidelines — had clearly asked Turan to keep a close eye on Ronaldo and the dogged midfielder was very fortunate to escape a booking for one early challenge.

But Real were struggling to break through this defiant red and white defence, with a period of pressure resulting only in a freekick squandered by Rodriguez. The manner in which Simeone applauded the foul on Ronaldo that led to the free- kick — executed in this case by Jesus Gamez — said it all.

Rodriguez was proving the most creative player on the pitch, presenting Hernandez with yet another opportunity he was unable to take.

There was the predictable degree of niggle and no shortage of theatrics from both sides but the better football was most certainly being played by Real. After 45 minutes the home side had executed nearly 300 passes — more than double the number managed by Atletico.

Clearly, Real missed players like Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. They missed Luka Modric too. But again, credit needs to go to Atletico for the way they suffocated the attacking players still available to Ancelotti.

With little more than a minute of the first half to go it really shouldn’t have been, Ronaldo wasting a brilliant chance to open the scoring — however good the save was from the impressive Jan Oblak.

No sooner had this tense contest restarted than Hernandez had a marvellous chance to score. But, again, he failed to find the back of the net.

Whatever Ancelotti said to his players at half-time, they had certainly moved up a gear. They were attacking with more intent, playing with greater tempo.

Eventually it was a red card for Turan — a moment that sparked an eruption inside this arena — that proved key to the home side breaking the deadlock.

Hernandez — who has struck 19 winners in his time at United — slotted home another, one which will be remembered in Madrid for a long time to come.