Real Madrid Advances to The Champions League Semifinals
Real Madrid has been unable to defeat their home-town rivals in the last seven matches this season. But when it mattered most, Real came away with a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid that propelled them to the Champions League semi-finals. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus will all take their place in the semi’s being played on May 5th & 6th.
Starting Lineups:
Real Madrid : (Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Fabio Conentrao, Ramos, Kroos, Isco, Rodriguez, Hernandez, Ronaldo)
Atletico Madrid:(Oblak, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Gamez, Turan, Koke, Tiago, Niguez, Griezmann, Mandzukic)
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Real Madrid played without the likes of Karim Benzema, Marcelo, and their midfield maestro Luka Modric. Modric walked off the field in last week’s La Liga matchup against Malaga with a knee ligament strain. Although Atletico played with a full squad, it seemed as many players had not shown up. Atletico star Antoin Griezmann, for example, came off for Raul Garcia in the 65′ minute after having a quiet game.
Most of the game consisted of Atletico playing with organization and discipline. However, the tables turned in the 76’ minute when Arda Turan received a red card after a double yellow conversion and was sent off the pitch for a tackle on Real Madrid man, Sergio Ramos. Surprisingly, it took a full 165 minutes for a sending-off in a Madrid derby, in a Champions League quarterfinal at that too. Real quickly took advantage of Turan’s absence, scoring a last minute goal that brought an end to their frustration.
Both teams were preparing for stoppage time, when Javier Hernandez managed to put one in the back of the net at the 88th minute. The Mexican striker, is on a season-long loan from Manchester United, and had been recently complaining about his lack of field-time. Due to injury’s, Hernandez was given the opportunity to shine and he made it count. What better time to prove his worth than in a Champions League semi-final against bitter rivals. This was his moment. It seemed as if Hernandez’s previous frustration all but disappeared after the goal was scored and as the celebrations began. It is not probable that Real Madrid will consider buying Hernandez just yet, but perhaps Carlo Ancelotti will consider giving him more playing time after his stellar performance today.
Hernandez celebrates after his goal
A alot of pressure was lifted off of Carlo Ancelotti with this win, as his worth was being questioned. Ancelotti took a risk today in placing Sergio Ramos in the midfield, as history has shown that this can easily become disastrous. This time, however, Ramos excelled in this position. He was able to manage the back line, but also add a little something to the midfield which allowed Toni Kroos and Isco to move forward and create chances. Although, Ancelotti will be heavily celebrating with his team tonight, he has many issues to face if he wants to remain as Real’s manager.
The Champions League semi-final draw will take place on April 24th. Whoever Real will play, will be a difficult opponent. Barcelona Vs Real? A Clasico would surely be wonderful to watch in a semi-final. Or Barcelona vs Bayern? Two teams with similar styles, and it will be interesting to see how Pep Gaurdiola will deal with his former team. Juventus, on the other hand, should not be taken lightly. They are known for their efficient Italian defense, and thrive under the title of being the “underdog”. Whatever the results may be, we can expect match-ups that will remind us why we all love the Champions League.