Atlético Madrid - Borussia Dortmund summary: score, goals & highlights | Champions League
Atlético Madrid - Borussia Dortmund: as it happened
Full-time thoughts:
It's all to play for next week in Germany as Atlético Madrid got a 2-1 win against Borussia Dortmund in a game that, if we're being honest, the Spanish side let slip from their grasp.
Dortmund were utterly overwhelmed in the first half and could not cope with the 70,000 voices screaming at every tackle, shot and save. The home side copied the energy levels of their fans, pushing Dortmund back time after time, strangling them into submission, forcing them into mistakes.
The first goal came after Maatsen made the wrong decision facing his own goal and allowed De Paul a free shot on goal, which he didn't miss. From then on, Atleti pushed and Lino soon got a second after good work from Griezmann as he latched onto a loose ball before sending a lovely chip over to the left-back, who just had to finish low under Kobel.
The second half saw BVB come out strong but their possession soon turned into something Atleti used in their favour; sitting back, the home side let Dortmund play the ball far from goal, and it seemed like this plan was set to work until the final whistle. It was Atleti who began to play on the counter and Lino could have made it 3-0 were it not for a fantastic save from Kobel on the line.
However, slowly but surely, Dortmund edged forward, and they managed to strike back with Haller, who found space inside the box after a delightful ball from Brandt, whose introduction onto the pitch changed the game.
And Simeone's side almost threw away the win as Brandt headed onto the bar with just seconds to go.
This tie is not over and Atlético Madrid's terrible away record is one thing that will certainly play on their minds next week.
Let's leave it there. Make sure to check out AS USA for all the fallout of the game and the rest of the UEFA Champions League.
Joe
AND THAT'S ALL!
Atlético get away with a win against Dortmund that could - and perhaps should - have been much more comfortable than it ended up being.
OFF THE BAR!!!! Brandt's header hits the bar as we tick past the added time!
A huge challenge from Griezmann takes the ball from Brandt, just as he was about to shoot...
SAVE. Kobel saves Rodrigo Riquelme's low shot from the left side of the box.
Atlético have decided to press BVB high up the pitch as their defenders control the ball. There's no way out for the German side who are resorting to aimless long balls.
5 added minutes.
Late Atlético changes:
OFF: Nahuel, Witsel, Lino
ON: Savic, Saúl, Rodrigo Riquelme
Giménez goes down off the pitch after a challenge from Reus. No rush from the defender to get on his feet and restart the game.
Bynoe-Gittens is causing huge problems for Simeone's side, who have no response to his direct dribbling and pace.
OFF THE BAR. Bynoe-Gittens' shot from range is deflected and crashes against Oblak's crossbar!
BVB have Atlético pinned back in their own box and the nerves can be heard in the screams from the crowd.
CHANCE. Hummels makes a huge error and gives the ball away to Correa, who can't get it out from under his feet and the shot to Kobel is weak and easily saved.
Late BVB switches:
OFF: Sabitzer, Can
ON: Ozcan, Reus
Back underway.
From what could easily have been 3-0 just moments aho, we've now got 2-1.
A direct ball through the middle of the pitch lands with Brandt, who sends a superb through ball diagonally behind Molina, where Haller is waiting to take a touch and smack the ball underneath Obalk in goal.
CHANCE! Atleti recover high up the pitch and Griezmann's threaded pass is cut out. It lands at Llorente who darts down the right side of the pitch but he runs the ball out of play.
Atleti change:
OFF: De Paul
ON: Correa
Simeone is going wild on the touchline, asking for more from the now nervous fans.
And right on the money, Atlético Madrid are in no rush to get things moving again as we have a slight stoppage in play.
We've got 15 minutes left, which means we are officially in what I'd call 'the final stages'.
OFF THE LINE!!! Lino got on the end of a long free-kick and Kobel somehow managed to keep his effort out from just a few yards!
OVER THE BAR! Brandt goes for goal from the set-piece and fizzes his shot just over the bar.
BVB change:
OFF: Adeyemi
ON: Bynoe-Gittens
Haller is fouled by Giménez outside the box and this is a good chance for Dortmund to send the ball into the box, or even at goal.
Oblak rises high to catch Brandt's whipped cross from the left. The game is slowly losing it's structure. Madness incoming...
CHANCE. Lino can't reach Llorente's low cross and the ball fizzes across the face of the away goal. The clearance lands with Barrios, who shoots and sees his effort blocked.
It's Schlotterbeck again who cuts out the ball towards Nahuel on Atlético's right side as the home team look for the full-back with a long ball over the top.
A nice one-two between Molina and Llorente (Griezmann's new strike partner) on the right is but out by Schlotterbeck, who did well to read the play.
Atlético's defensive shape is as tight as the bolts holding a submarine together. Dortmund are probing like curious aliens but so far, there's no opening and they can't get within 30 yards of goal.
Dortmund havehad 64% of the ball and have had the better chances this half, but if any team know how to get through periods like this, it's Simeone's Atlético.
They're happy to watch the clock tick on as BVB pass, pass, pass, pass....
Simeone going for control:
OFF: Morata
ON: Barrios
Atlético's lines of 5-3-2 are as clear as the contrast between the two kits. They're holding their shape strong against the seemingly endless Dortmund possession in the middle third.
Attacking switch for BVB:
OFF: Fullkrug
ON: Haller
Hearts are in mouths as Dortmund attack again with Sancho on the right.
Azpilicueta gets a foot on the ball and De Paul recovers possession, flicking around the corner inside the box past his marker. The sigh of relief is audible from the fans.
Changes are being prepared for the away side...
CHANCE! Dortmund carve Atleti open and Fullkrug does well to hold off the challenge inside the box as he faces away from goal. The ball is tapped backwards to Brandt, whose shot is blocked.
Atlético have a free-kick close to Simeone's technical area. They're taking their time before swinging it in, possibly trying to calm their opponents down, who are now playing like they have rats up their trouser legs.
CHANCE. Nahuel Molina fires his legs into overdrive, racing down the right. Morata isn't in the box when he arrives, so the defender cuts inside and smashes a low shot at the goalkeeper.
Oblak goes long after his side recover but his long ball lands at the feet of Can, unchallenged in the centre circle. They work it forward to the edge of the box where Fullkrug tries his luck, slicing a shot into the goalkeeper's hands.
Atlético are giving Dortmund way too much space in all areas if they want to keep up their levels of dominance we saw in the first half. The Germans are playing through the thirds with no issues.
Two minutes in and we've seen Dortmund tap, tap, tap their way around the pitch. Their latest spell on the ball ends with Sabitzer shooting from distance: Oblak catches with ease.
CHANCE. 10 seconds in, Dortmund recover the ball.
Brandt's first touch is to latch onto a pass from Sancho down the left channel where he pulls it back before it's cleared. A strong statement from Dortmund.
And we're off!
Atleti get us going.
Half-time change for BVB:
OFF: Nmecha
ON: Brandt
The players are in the tunnel before the second half
We'll be back underway shortly!
As you probably know, we've got another game going on over in Paris, with Will the lucky soul covering it for you.
Apparently there's been a goal, too.
'The 8th wonder'
The home fans have certainly played their part, although the Dortmund crowd, despite their team's performance, might be the loudest we've heard so far this season at the Metropolitano!
Half-time thoughts:
Dortmund have been a crumbly mess with nothing holding things together. While their possession has been solid at times, it's been utterly placid and even agreeablefor Atleti to defend.
Add that to the way Atlético themselves have played on the ball, and one behind to understand how any why they are 2-0 ahead and looking like it could be 3 or 4.
De Paul and Lino got their names on the scoresheet after two suicidal pieces of play from the away side let them in, and they did not stop there, constantly threatening the BVB box until the whistle went for half-time.
Half-time!
What a performance from Atlético Madrid!
CHANCE. Sancho finds space down the right as Dortmund launch a quick attack but his shot is fired high and wide of the goal.
1 added minute.
Another corner to Atleti: Lino flicks to Griezmann down the left and the cross is once again deflected behind.
SAVE! Oblak gets down to his right to stop a bullet from Maatsen, who went for goal from distance.
A mistake from Morata in his own half saw Adyemi pick up the ball and dance to make space down the right; his curling effort was blocked out to the left back on the other side.
Another long spell of possession from the away side ends in nothing as Atlético hold off before pressing at the right time, recovering the ball and delighting the already jubilant home crowd.
Five minutes of normal time to go.
Dortmund's possession sees Atleti drop back and they manage to send a couple of tempting low crosses into the box. They're both cleared by the defence, who shake off the danger with ease.
Well, well, well, the fury from Emre Can in the middle of the pitch is evident for all to see. He's certainly saying some not-safe-for-AS-live-feed words to Sabitzer who is taking the telling-off on the chin.
ATM-BVB
Attempts: 8-2
On target: 4-0
CHANCE. Adeyemi finds an inch in the left channel, squirms away from his marker and shoots on goal. His effort is blocked out for a corner, that's defended.
We're back underway.
Around 20 yards out, Scholtterbeck misjudges a header and backs out at the last second. It hits Hummels who, for some reason, has moved to stand directly behind him.
The loose ball finds Griezmann on the edge of the box, who sends a chip over the Lino.
The soon-to-be Ballon d'Or winner takes a sublime touch inside the box, steadies himself and slides a wonderful finish under Kobel.
SAMUEL LINO
HE REALLY IS RONALDINHO TONIGHT
Giménez sticks a foot out to clear Sancho's low cross out for a corner. A long spell of possession finally found Sancho, who went left, right, left before smashing the ball towards the penalty spot. It's a positive move from Dortmund, and they haven't had many of them so far.
Yellow number two for Atleti comes for Marcos Llorente. He chased Can all the way back towards the corner flag before sticking out a leg and causing the ex-Liverpool man to tumble to the ground.
And that's a yellow for Samuel 'Ronaldinho' Lino, who tripped Schlotterbeck over. He will miss the next game.
Atleti win another corner (7th) after Hummels heads out a cross destined for Lino.
Griezmann goes short to Lino who turns into prime Ronaldinho, slinking and sliding past his marker on the left before whipping in a dangerous ball towards the centre-backs that had come up for the set-piece.
Emre Can gets the first booking of the game for a foul on De Paul.
Maatsen is playing alongside Can in the middle of the pitch and so far, it's been a disaster...
Apart from being at fault for the goal, he has not managed to provide anything in buildup and is leaving acres of space for Atlético to attack.
CHANCE. Giménez heads the corner back where it came from and Morata meets the dropping ball, sending his effort over the bar.
Atleti come again and Hummels leaps high into the air to head Nahuel's far-post cross out of play. Morata was sneaking in behind there, so the centre-back went for security first.
Dortmund have had 61% possession so far, and done nothing with it.
CHANCE. The whistles turn to applause as the home side recover and Lino races forward beforewasting the chance as his early cross is both mis-directed and mis-timed.
The clearance, fortunately for him, is equally as poor and lands at Griezmann, who whips a shot towards the far post from the left that's blocked.
I've just counted and Dortmund have put together a string of passes that adds up to 22. It's exactly the medicine they need in order to calm the ferocious crowd and 11 red and white shirted players who are running around like it's all their birthdays all at once.
Atlético have dropped back into their own half as the Germans slowly progress. The whistles have already started.
Lino goes for an overhead kick as the ball sits up nicely for him on the edge of the box.
That's where we're at. That's the level of confidence right now from the home side.
Marcos Llorente sees his shot blocked from range. Dortmund are suffering more than a baby beetle in between King Charles' fingers.
The home crowd go wild as the press from their team sees Dortmund concede a corner.
Atleti want more: they are pressing Dortmund high who look ready to crumble. We've got a long game ahead and of course this is the first leg of two, but if there's any time to make their mark, it's now.
HUGE SAVE! Witsel latches onto a cross from Griezmann and flicks the ball towards goal that Kobel gets a strong hand to!
We're back underway. The noise is incredible inside the ground.
It's a huge mistake from Dortmund.
The goalkeeper plays a pass to Maatsen, who has moved inside.
The full-back flicks the ball horribly with his back to goal and De Paul, who has pressed high, takes advantage of the loose effort, taking a touch towards goal before poking into the net!
DE PAUL
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL
ATLÉTICO SCORE OUT OF NOWHERE
CHANCE. The first of the game. A snapping tackle from De Paul sees Atleti race forward with Griezmann down the left.
He chips a superb ball over the Dortmund defence as Morata sprints down the right channel and his shot is blocked out of play from just inside the box.
Dortmund start off with some controlled possession at the back at Atleti's mid-block sits on halfway, trotting left to right as they try to block all avenues in the buildup.
And we're off!
After a slight delay, the ball is rolling in Madrid.
The away side get us going from left to right.
The Champions League music rings around the ground as Griezmann turns around to take in his surroundings.
It's a long walk out of the Atleti tunnel...
Here come the teams!
NOW, ATLETI, NOW reads the huge banner
The atmosphere is really fizzing as we await the two teams!
Here's how our live poll is going...
It's advantage Atleti according to the Twitter crowd, who think that Simeone's side will have too much for Terzic to handle.
BVB fans making their voices heard
The near-4,000 German fans at the Metropolitano stadium are out-singing their Atleti counterparts by a long, long way right now.
Let's see if things change at kick-off...
Ten minutes to go!
Both sides have finished their pre-game warmups and are now making their way down the tunnel for the final team talks!
The fans gave the home side a huge welcome!
What a fantastic atmosphere we have ahead of us in the Metropolitano!
The two teams are on the pitch!
The pre-game warmups are underway as the clock to kick-off ticks down!
The noise when the Atleti players came out was crazy: we're in for a rocking Metropolitano tonight!
A reminder of the starting XIs:
If you've just joined us, here's a reminder of the two starting lineups for tonight's game:
ATLÉTICO MADRID: Oblak; Nahuel, Giménez, Azpilicueta, Azpilicueta, Lino; Llorente, Koke, De Paul; Morata, Griezmann
BVB: Kobel; Ryerson, Schlotterbeck, Hummels, Maatsen; Can, Sabitzer; Adeyemi, Nmecha, Sancho; Fullkrüg
Atlético Madrid's bumpy Round of 16 ride:
Jan Oblak was Atlético’s shootout hero, saving two Inter penalties as Los Rojiblancos knocked out last season’s runners-up as the second leg in Madrid went all the way to penalties.
The first leg was won by Inter, after a late Arnautovic goal sealed the win for the home side, but the second leg was a completely different affair.
The fans showed up and pushed their side to a 2-1 win, coming back from 0-1 down thanks to goals from Griezmann and Memphis.
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Atlético Madrid pre-game quotes:
When we got Dortmund, we weren't happier than if we had be drawn against City or Real Madrid. It's the Champions League and it's tough.
They have many good things. They have been great away from home over the past four months and are good on the counter attack. They play well in the air and it will be an intense game.
We're only thinking about this game, not anything ahead of us. Game by game, as Cholo does. We are not thinking about anything other than the game at our home ground.
There is no safety playing either home or away. They're an incredibly strong team. However, we know what we can do when we play at home.
Here's how Dortmund got on in the Round of 16 against PSV.
Over two legs, they were comfortably the winners, with a goal from Malen in the first leg being added to be Sancho and Reus in the return at home.
They lacked intensity during some phases of the two games, which is something they certainly can't afford to do against Atleti tonight, but they'll be buoyed by their solid recent results in the elite competition.
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Remember, here's all the television and streaming information you need to watch Diego Simeone’s men take on the Bundesliga side at Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano.
Here's a handy graphic on Atlético's home record:
They've been utterly ferocious at home, especially in the Champions League. Out of the 16 knockout home games that have been played under Simeone in the UCL, he hasn't lost any of them.
ATLÉTICO XI:
It's as we expected from Simeone, who goes with his full-strength side that includes Giménez and Nahuel in defence.
DORTMUND XI REVEALED:
Sancho starts up front with Adeyemi and Fullkrug in a strong XI from Terzic.
RONALD WITTEK / EFE
Don't underestimate BVB...
Despite their inconsistent Bundesliga form that has them currently down in 5th in the table, Dortmund still have more than enough firepower to put Europe's elite to the sword.
Last weekend they thumped Bayern 0-2 thanks to goals from Adeyemi and Ryerson, showing that despite their wobbles, they can turn it on when needed.
Atlético will need to keep a special eye on Fullkrug, who will undoubtedly give the centre-backs a run for their money with his physical capacity.
Good news!
It's more than good news, it's stunning, sensational and I am hugely grateful.
There will be no electric green, no meaningless designs, no fancy third colours, just Atlético red and white against Dortmund's yellow and black.
The Germans are set to wear their Champions League home shirt, which is a slight variation on their standard home strip for the season. But it's still yellow and black, and we love it.
Want to watch the game on your TV tonight? Here's all the television and streaming information you need to watch Diego Simeone’s men take on the Bundesliga side at Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano.
Atlético Madrid taking on Dortmund is not the only action we've got coming up tonight on AS USA.
Will Allen is in the hot seat as Paris Saint Germain face an in-form Barcelonaside looking to make the final four of Europe's elite competition for the first time in 5 years. Perhaps Mbappé will have something to say about that.
Angel Martinez - UEFA / UEFA via Getty Images
Fans to give players a treat
The Metropolitano stadium is set to host a sold-out game and the fans have prepared a 60,000 piece mosaic that will be held up prior to kick-off.
Anything helps on nights like these, and Atleti's home record certainly does, too: they've only lost two games at the Metropolitano all season, to Athletic Club and Barcelona.
Have your say!
We've got a poll up and running which allows you to vote and pick your winner for the game. If you're feeling brave, drop a score prediction below and we'll feature it on the feed!
Who's the ref?
Marco Guida will be in charge of the game tonight.
The Itlaian will be officiating only the second non-group-stage Champions League match of his career so far, and made his debut in the knockout rounds of the tournament earlier this season.
The 42-year-old first refereed in the Champions League in October 2019, but was not appointed to a knockout-stage clash until he ran the rule over Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-0 last-16 first-leg win over Real Sociedad in February this year.
Yellow card watch:
Los Rojiblancos have 4 players who are one yellow card away from missing the second leg:
Savic, Koke, Lino & Morata
Let's hope they do better than poor Tchouaméni for Real Madrid last night, who made it his mission to get a booking in the first 90 seconds of the game. And succeeded.
Borussia Dortmund's group stage:
As for BVB, they did the almost unthinkable and topped Group of Death.
PSG, Newcastle and AC Milan were drawn alongside Terzic’s side in a group that instantly captivated football fans around the globe and earned itself the deadly label on the spot.
3 wins, 2 draws and a loss was enough to see them beat PSG to top spot and avoid a potentially catastrophic draw in the Round of 16.
Round 5 in the group saw PSG draw with Newcastle while Dortmund smashed Milan 1-3, practically sealing their passage and calming the nerves after a shaky start that saw them defeated by the French side.
| group E | T | MP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Atlético's group stage:
Simeone’s side topped Group E with 14pointsafter6games played. They won 4 and drew 2, conceding just 6 goals while scoring 17.
Lazio, Feyenoord and Celtic had the potential to be something of a slippery eel but Atleti waltzed through with no problems at all and never looked like getting to the knockout rounds was going to be a problem for them.
An away draw to Celtic was a low point but they smashed them 6-0 shortly after to get revenge and apart from that, the side cruised through using their immense home record to help them along.
| group E | T | MP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
BVB were at Real Madrid's training complex this week
The Black & Yellow trained at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training ground this week ahead of the tie against Atleti.
If you squint, you might be able to make out the picture in the background that shows they're most certainly not on Atlético Madrid turf...
The draw served up a sensational set of fixtures and yesterday’s action did not disappoint.
We saw an all-time Champions League knockout game played at the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid went blow-for-blow with Manchester City, eventually drawing 3-3, while Arsenal played like they had a rat up their trouser leg, thrilling and shocking in a 2-2 draw against a Bayern side who got great results from their star quality and a certain Harry Kane.
Atleti have problem in both areas
As mentioned, both Nahuel and Giménez are going to give Atleti a much-needed boost at the back over these two tough games.
While the side might be associated with a tough-tackling style that leads to few goals being conceded, the side have actually not kept a clean sheet since February, when they didn’t concede against Las Palmas in LaLiga.
As for the other end, and actually sticking the ball in the net, Atlético have had their issues. Morata, who is normally a reliable player in red and white, has not scored since early January; Griezmann has 6 goals in the Champions League so far but has only scored 1 in his last 11 games.
Team news: BVB
If that’s what we call good news for Cholo, then Edin Terzis must be positively ecstatic.
The only absence in his squad is Ramy Bensebaini, who is out with a knee ligament injury that he picked up on international duty.
Dutch forward Donyell Malen didn’t travel to the Spanish capital as he didn’t recover from a thigh injury in time to make it into Terzic’s squad.
Other than that, it’s happy days for the Black & Yellow, who are going to try to make their opponents wobble at home, something not many have been able to do this season.
Team news: Atlético Madrid
It’s good news for El Cholo who has a short list of injuries to contend with.
Plenty of players have made recoveries over the past weeks, with Nahuel and Giménez coming back intothe side at a crucial point in the season.
The main absence from the Atleti squad is that of Mario Hermoso, who is unavailable alongside long-term physio room regular Thomas Lemar.
Memphis Depay is also a big loss for LosColchoneros, who had seen the inconsistent forward turn into a real difference maker at times.
There’s been no real diagnosis of what’s actually wrong with the player, with the only information being “muscular discomfort” which forced him to take an early bath after training last weekend.
It’s Joe here to guide you through the action as it unfolds.
The game will kick-off at 3pm ET / noon PT.
We're up and running!
Hello and a warm welcome from the Spanish capital where we’ve got another night of fascinating Champions League ties.
We’ve got Atlético Madrid hosting Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.