Atletico Madrid advanced into the final of the Champions League this evening with a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The two sides played out a goalless draw in the first leg of their semi-final last week, but the home side had the advantage after 36 minutes of the second leg when Fernando Torres netted against his former club.
Adrian Lopez levelled just before the interval, however, before second-half strikes from Diego Costa - who netted from the penalty spot - and Arda Turan added gloss to the scoreline.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two European rivals.
Match statistics
Chelsea
Shots: 17
On target: 10
Possession: 52%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 12
Atletico
Shots: 14
On target: 10
Possession: 48%
Corners: 9
Fouls: 18
Was the result fair?
In truth, it is difficult to argue that Atletico did not deserve to advance from the second leg this evening. There was not too much between the two sides in the first period, but it was Chelsea that struck first through Torres. Atletico had their away goal in the latter stages of the first half, however, and controlled developments from there. The La Liga leaders swamped the home side in the early stages of the second period, with Chelsea unable to cope with the rise in tempo. Had the Blues been able to hold onto their 1-0 lead into the interval it might have been a different story, but Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho decided to change his shape in the early stages of the second half, which allowed Atletico more space in the final third.
Chelsea's performance
Scoring against Atletico has proved problematic for just about every side this season, but Chelsea managed to take the lead on the night after 36 minutes. The goal certainly raised the atmosphere inside the stadium as the home side pushed for a second, but it was Atletico that scored the second goal of the night. Mourinho's team selection will be called into question, but his side did manage to stifle Atletico for long periods of the first half. That changed in the second 45 minutes, however, with the Portuguese introducing Samuel Eto'o in place of Ashley Cole at a surprisingly early stage. Immediately Atletico had more of the ball in forward areas and had their reward on the hour mark when Eto'o felled Costa inside the area. The Spanish international rose to his feet before smashing his penalty into the top corner. It is difficult to be too critical of the Premier League outfit, but with only Willian, Eden Hazard and Torres on from the start, they lacked a cutting edge in attack. If Mourinho had his time again, he might have done it slightly different.
Atletico's performance
Chelsea frustrated Atletico in the first leg in Madrid last week, but it was an entirely different occasion this time around. Despite the Spanish side's incredible season, there were still question marks over whether they could cope with the demands of a Champions League semi-final due to their relatively small squad. Well, those questions were emphatically answered this evening. It was somewhat of a surprise when they conceded the first goal due to their defensive solidarity this season, but they responded with a goal just before the break, before finding two more in the second half. Many sides would have sat back at 2-1 with Chelsea needing two goals to go through, but Atletico would not let up and put the tie beyond doubt through Turan 20 minutes from time. As soon as Chelsea showed more of an attacking interest in the second period, it allowed Atletico to boss proceedings in the final third. Once more, their back four were terrific, while on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a number of brilliant saves. It was just about the perfect evening for the capital outfit, who are also on the cusp of winning La Liga.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Juanfran: In truth, there were a number of candidates for this particular accolade this evening. However, Atletico defender Juanfran gets the nod. The word 'defender' is used loosely, however, with the Spaniard making his mark in forward areas this evening. It was his cross that set up Adrian for Atletico's first of the evening, while the right-back also produced the cross for Turan, which eventually saw the Turkish international convert after hitting the crossbar with his first effort. It was just about the perfect display from the 29-year-old, who simply did not stop running for the entirety of the match.
Biggest gaffe
It is perhaps slightly harsh to pick out Hazard, who has just returned from injury, but the Chelsea midfielder cost his side after switching off in the latter stages of the first period. Chelsea were close to taking a 1-0 lead into the interval, but Atletico responded courtesy of a close-range finish from Adrian after 44 minutes. It was Juanfran that was allowed to meet a lifted cross from Tiago, with Hazard nowhere to be seen when the Spaniard drifted into the area. Moments later, the away side had their decisive away goal. Hazard has been credited for his defensive improvement this season, but slacked off at the vital moment this evening.
Referee performance
It was a calm and composed performance from referee Nicola Rizzoli. The Italian awarded just the three yellow cards throughout the 90 minutes, which is credit to his officiating due to the number of late challenges that arrived. Rizzoli was right to award Atletico a second-half penalty when Eto'o felled Costa inside the box, while he was also correct to turn down a couple of late appeals from the home side when desperation set in. Overall, neither manager will have any complaints about the referee's display in London.
What next?
Chelsea: The Blues continue their Premier League challenge with a home match against struggling Norwich City on Sunday.
Atletico: Victory for Simeone's side over Levante on Sunday would leave them needing just three more points from their final two games to secure the La Liga title this season.
Matt Law
