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7 months ago
44
Maybe not the pure, high drama of across town 24 hours earlier – or even in Paris - but it might well have been.
Borussia Dortmund stunk the Civitas Metropolitano out until half time. Awful, individual mistakes contributing to two goals.
The looks of puzzlement at how a Diego Simeone team went about a Champions League knockout tie. Scared of pick pockets, cowed in the cauldron.
Dortmund, only fifth in the Bundesliga, were absolutely nowhere in this tie.
Bizarrely, they might now think themselves favourites to reach a first semi-final in 11 years next week and would have been truly in the ascendency had Julian Brandt’s 95th-minute header not crashed against the bar.
Rodrigo de Paul jumped on a defensive howler to open the scoring for Atletico Madrid
Keeper Gregor Kobel delayed a pass to Ian Maatsen and De Paul intercepting it to slot in
Brandt’s introduction at the break changed everything, Dortmund more progressive and owning more courage.
Sebastien Haller, another substitute, gave them a lifeline with nine minutes left on the spin. Manager Edin Terzic truly earned his money.
They’ll say that if this stadium can leave visitors dazed then so too can Westfalenstadion. With a bit extra. The blandest quarter-final on paper could yet have its say after one of the craziest weeks in European history.
But what for Atletico? What a missed opportunity. A goal after four minutes, a second after 32 – with plenty of chances in between – and it was their supporters leaving crestfallen, even having won the tie.
It had been so comfortable. Ex-Burnley loanee Ian Maatsen blindly passed into a horrible area. On their heels, Dortmund could do nothing as Rodrigo De Paul nipped in, took a touch, and poked in.
Agitated, Terzic could only watch as his side failed to take grip of this. Dortmund finally managed their first touch inside Atletico’s box on the half-hour via Jadon Sancho, only to then give up a second moments later.
Mats Hummels was the guilty party.
Another defensive error allowed Samuel Lino to double their lead in the 32nd minute
Antoine Griezmann dinked a pass to Lino and he slid the ball beyond Gregor Kobel
Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller cut the deficit in the 81st minute
Man United loanee Jadon Sancho was a constant threat in Madrid on Wednesday night
MATCH FACTS
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Witsel (Savic 90), Gimenez, Azpilicueta, Molina (Saul 90), Llorente, Koke, De Paul (Correa 80), Samuel Dias (Riquelme 90), Morata (Barrios 64), Griezmann.
Subs Not Used: Moldovan, Gabriel, Vermeeren, Mandava, El Jebari, Gomis.
Booked: Samuel Dias, Llorente, Gimenez.
Goals: De Paul 4, Samuel Dias 32.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen, Sabitzer (Reus 84), Can (Ozcan 84), Sancho, Nmecha (Brandt 46), Adeyemi (Bynoe-Gittens 73), Fullkrug (Haller 60).
Subs Not Used: Duranville, Wolf, Moukoko, Sule, Meyer, Laurenz Lotka.
Booked: Can, Maatsen.
Goals: Haller 81.
Att: 68,641
Ref: Marco Guida (Italy).
The veteran had gone to retrieve a simple ball from a throw-in, failing to communicate properly with fellow centre half Nico Schlotterbeck.
The pair bumped into each other, Antoine Griezmann was in the box and his impish dink for Samuel Lino was then slid beyond Gregor Kobel.
Lino, suspended for next week, was superbly denied by Kobel before Haller had his moment and Brandt almost snatched a precious second.
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