10 min: Real stroke it around for the first time this evening. They don’t really go anywhere but a period of sustained possession always helps to settle any nerves.
8 min: Venicius Junior drops a shoulder and nearly wriggles free down the inside-left channel, but Toloi puts a stop to his gallop. The Real striker wants a free kick, but he’s not getting one. The referee is in a very liberal mood, by the looks of it, his laissez-faire attitude slotting neatly into the Dutch stereotype.
6 min: Atalanta have started very much on the front foot. They’re not afraid to commit plenty of men to attack, and they’ve launched three already. Real haven’t got past this stage for two years, so there may be a few nerves in their camp.
4 min: Now De Roon clatters into Valverde. The referee remains lenient, but you sense the next Atalanta player to foul may find themselves in a spot of bother.
3 min: Atalanta should have the away goal they need. Muriel dribbles down the left and reaches the byline, before pulling back to Gosens, on the edge of the six-yard box. He should score, but leans back and wafts weakly straight at Courtois! What a miss, albeit one that will give the visitors hope.
2 min: Malinovskyi leaves an early one on Nacho. You’d think he’d see yellow for that, but the referee wants to keep his cards in his pocket for a while.
Atalanta get the Adidas Finale 21 rolling. It’s a clear but chilly night at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano in Madrid.
The teams are out! Real Madrid in their famous meringue-white clobber, Atalanta in their Internazionalesque nerazzurri. A quick blast of Uefa’s bespoke version of Zadok the Priest, and we’ll be off.
Tonight’s match ball. It’s the Adidas Finale 21. No need for further explanation, except to say I never thought I’d miss transcribing the pre-match interviews. It’s been an age since the teams dropped. Still, it all helps to ramp up the excitement and expectation, huh.
Real make three changes from the team selected in Bergamo. Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema return from injury, while Federico Valverde replaces the suspended Casemiro. Marco Asensio and Isco drop to the bench. Eden Hazard is injured again.
Atalanta also make three changes from their first-leg starting XI. Remo Freuler is suspended after his red card, so Ruslan Malinovskyi takes his place. Duvan Zapata is stood down in favour of Mario Pasalic, while goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini makes way for Marco Sportiello.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Nacho, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Mendy, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Lucas, Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
Subs: Eder Militao, Asensio, Marcelo, Lunin, Isco, Rodrygo, Altube, Duro.
Atalanta: Sportiello, Toloi, Romero, Djimsiti, Maehle, de Roon, Pessina, Gosens, Malinovsky, Pasalic, Muriel.
Subs: Palomino, Lammers, Caldara, Rossi, Ruggeri, Ghislandi, Miranchuk, Ilicic, Zapata, Gollini.
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands).
The first leg of this tie was fairly uneventful. Atalanta found themselves down to ten men early doors, Remo Freuler sent off on 17 minutes, so hunkered down. Real Madrid toiled and toiled, but eventually a late long-range shot by Ferland Mendy earned them a precious away goal and a 1-0 victory. Here’s how it panned out on the MBM, and here’s Sid Lowe’s match report.
On the face of it, you’d think that would be enough for Real, if history is your guide. They’ve won the first leg away 35 times in Uefa competition, and have only twice failed to seal the deal: against Odense in the 1994/95 Uefa Cup, and Ajax at this stage of the Champions League two seasons ago.
But the boys from Bergamo retain hope. Atalanta have won their last five European away games, to an aggregate score of 14-3, and eight of their last dozen on the road, drawing one and losing just three. It’s a formidable record. It’s also easy to forget that Gian Piero Gasperini’s exciting team were a couple of minutes away from last season’s semi-finals, before PSG performed a sickening smash and grab. This is far from over.
So will Real, embarking on their 51st European Cup campaign, make it to the last eight for the 36th time? Or will Atalanta prevail instead, repeating the feat of their debut year by making it two quarter-final appearances from two? Kick off at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano in Madrid is at 8pm GMT (9pm local), and only a 1-0 win for Atalanta can take this tie to extra time and penalties. It’s on!
from Football | The Guardian https://ift.tt/394EV1Z
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