Isco douses fightback to put Real in final

Atlético Madrid

Saul 12, Griezmann 16pen

Real Madrid

Isco 42 Real win 4-2 on agg

But this was some goodbye. Goodbye to the Champions League for Atlético Madrid, who were knocked out by their bitterest rivals, Real Madrid, and farewell forever to European football at the Vicente Calderón, which they leave at the end of the season for a new home.

How it rocked last night. Real reached their 15th European Cup final, where they will face Juventus in Cardiff on June 3 – attempting to win it for a 12th time and for the third season in four – but were pushed all the way as Atlético beat them and threatened what would have been the greatest comeback in the competition’s glorious history.

It meant Zinedine Zidane became the first manager since Sir Alex Ferguson in 2008 and 2009 to reach two European Cup finals in a row, and has done so in his first two seasons in charge, as he attempts to become the first to retain the trophy when it has been the Champions League. He will have to do so against his former club.

This was a proud evening, and a defiant and elemental one, with Atlético whipping up a storm on and off the pitch, thanks to their frenzied fans, and then the heavens opening as the minutes ran down and it became clear they were going to fall short. There was torrential rain, thunder and lightning. It was as if the sporting gods had been roused.

Those supporters ignored all that and sang long after the end. Their Vital strike: Isco celebrates after scoring a valuable away goal for Real Madrid three minutes before half-time

players returned but then, eventually, so did Real’s to bodysurf in front of their own sodden but gleeful fans who had been stunned into silence inside 16 minutes as Atlético scored twice, almost scored two more, and appeared capable of overwhelming Real.

It took another divine intervention to stop them, a brilliant piece of skill to create the visitors’ vital away goal from Karim Benzema. “A moment of magic by Benzema put our dream out of reach,” said the Atlético captain, Gabi.

What now for coach Diego Simeone? What now for Antoine Griezmann? Both impressed – the coach on the touchline, the striker on the pitch – although as indebted as Real

were to Benzema’s piece of skill and Isco’s cool finish, the most impressive performer was the most diminutive: Luka Modric.

Cristiano Ronaldo? This was not his night after his hat-trick in the first leg.

Following that the Real fans had goaded Atlético with “How does it feel?” reminding them of their hold over their city rivals in big games, but there was a defiant riposte.

This was not just the last European match to be held here after 51 years but also the final Madrid derby.

“Proud not to be like you” – read the vast banner displayed before the match, with the added promise that “the volcano would erupt”.

It did. How it did. Their team scored. Not just once but twice inside those opening minutes. The first goal came from a corner, with Saúl Ñíguez rising to plant a nearpost header that goalkeeper Keylor Navas could not stop. Ronaldo was on marking duties but failed to track his runner.

Soon after Fernando Torres worked his way into the penalty area only to be tripped by Raphaël Varane. The spot-kick was given and Griezmann steered it into the net with a strange almost doublehit of a strike, even though Navas again got a hand to it. The atmosphere, by now, was off the scale.

There is one more game here, a final league fixture against Athletic Bilbao on May 21, but this was it. Around 500 Atlético supporters had gathered at the team hotel. “Until the last drop of blood!” was one banner – and the players responded.

But then so did Real, with that sublime midfield of Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco, and they were all involved with the goal. Yet it was Benzema’s moment as, by the corner flag on the left, he tricked his way past three defenders and drew the ball back to Kroos, whose powerful shot was superbly blocked by Jan Oblak, only for Isco to pounce. “I asked Benzema how did you get out of there? He didn’t know either,” Zidane said.

Atlético needed a response but chances were wasted, most notably by substitute Kévin Gameiro, who headed tamely for Navas to turn away after the keeper had parried Yannick Carrasco’s curling shot.

Ronaldo had the ball in the net but was pulled up, in the tightest of offside calls, and although Atlético threw themselves forward, they could not score again. Then there was a different storm.

Real had reached another final. Atlético bade a proud and loud farewell. “The first 20 minutes of this magic night at Calderón will be remembered for ever,” Simeone said. The whole evening will.

(4-4-2) Oblak 7; Giménez 6 (Partey 57), Savic 7, Godín 7, Filipe Luís 8; Koke 6 (Correa 76), Gabi 7, Saul Ñíguez 7, Carrasco 8; Torres 6 (Gameiro 57), Griezmann 8. Moyá (g), Tiago, Hernández, Gaitán. Savic, Godín, Gabi, Correa.

(4-4-2) Navas 7; Danilo 6, Ramos 6, Varane 5, Marcelo 6; Kroos 7, Isco 7 (Morata 88), Casemiro 6, Modric 9; Benzema 7, Ronaldo 6. Casilla (g), Nacho, James Rodríguez, Kovacic, Vázquez.

Danilo, Ramos.

Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey). Leicester are lining up another raid on the lower leagues with a £400,000 move for Luton defender James Justin. Leicester regard the 19-year-old right-back as a potential long-term successor to Danny Simpson. Justin has come through Luton’s academy and been regularly watched by Leicester scouts this season, after being spotted by the club’s recruitment team. Leicester have made a number of successful signings from the lower leagues in their recent history, including Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Demarai Gray.