Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GRIEZMANN V THE MAN
Atletico wannabe desperate to shoot down Real master Ronaldo
THE battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann sums up the impending war between Real Madrid and Atletico at the Bernabeu tonight.
The legend against the wannabe. Ronaldo’s triumphant Portugal and Griezmann’s defeated France. The four-time Ballon d’or champ against the young gun who left the podium empty-handed, just as Atletico did in 2014 and 2016 when they clashed with Real in the Lisbon and Milan Champions League finals. Two excruciating failures, the pain of the latter almost forcing Atletico coach Diego Simeone to walk away from the Vicente Calderon Stadium after five years in charge. “It counts for nothing,” said Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane when asked about his team’s dominance over their rivals in Europe ahead of tonight’s semi-final first-leg showdown. “Each year Atletico improve, they scrap, they fight, they know their weapons.” While Atletico have become fierce rivals for Real domestically, in Europe Los Blancos have their neighbours exactly where they want them. Madrid knocked out Atletico in the quarter-finals in 2015, but the most painful defeats have come at the final hurdle. Sergio Ramos’s stoppagetime header forced the game to extra-time in Lisbon in 2014, handing Madrid the momentum as they went on to win 4-1. “It still makes my hairs stand up,” said Isco, who is set to replace the injured Gareth Bale. “When he scored it, I knew we wouldn’t lose. I felt like I’d also scored the goal.” Then two years later in Milan Griezmann slammed a penalty against the bar, with the game eventually heading to spot-kicks, where Ronaldo hit the winner to earn Madrid their 11th victory in the competition, leaving Atletico still starved of glory. Ronaldo is no longer the flying winger who terrorised fullbacks but he is no less dangerous as a lethal poacher who scored five of Madrid’s six goals against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. Griezmann has 25 goals this season to Ronaldo’s 28 and if he can add to his tally tonight it would give the visitors a precious away goal to defend in next week’s second leg. Whichever star player imposes himself the most will be key to victory as both teams eye the road to Cardiff. Griezmann and Atletico crave it, Ronaldo and Madrid expect it.