Atletico and Borussia Dortmund leave everything to decide in the return leg
Madrid: Atletico Madrid took a narrow lead in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund on home soil, with the Spanish side hoping they can level the score while the Germans rue late chances. Can tell that things were almost missed. All set for next week’s comeback leg.
Things seemed to be going completely to plan for Atlético at the Metropolitano Stadium as goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino after three and 31 minutes gave Atlético a 2–0 lead and control of the first half.
High pressure from Atlético, accompanied by the roar of 70,000 fans, he robbed the ball over the top to allow De Paul to advance into the Borussia half.
Antoine Griezmann was key for Atlético with his pressing, work rate and vision with the ball and they almost doubled the lead after just three minutes, with only Gregor Kobel making a good save, Xinhua reported.
Kobel was helpless on the half hour when Leno doubled Atlético’s lead after Griezmann lobbed the ball past the last defender so the winger could run onto Kobel and shoot past him.
Although they controlled most of the ball, Borussia missed the first chance just before halftime, when Ian Maatsen injured Jan Oblak’s hands with a powerful shot.
Atlético started the second half with a chance for Nahuel Molina, but just after the hour mark, Atlético coach Diego Simeone made his first change, replacing forward Álvaro Morata with midfielder Pablo Barrios.
It looked like it was going to be a defensive change, but first Barrios and then Lino both came close to scoring Atlético’s third goal, while Kobel made a good effort to deny Lino from scoring the second.
This could prove to be a crucial moment in the tie as Sebastien Haller gave Borussia a lease of life, heading home a goal inside the Atlético penalty area.
Borussia almost equalized twice in the final minutes when first, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens hit the crossbar, and then Julian Brandt headed against the Atletico woodwork and it shows that Atletico face a tough night in Germany next week. That will happen, if what promises to be an exciting return leg.
