Atletico for final and will play city rival who beat them two seasons ago, Real
Madrid. Atlético Madrid reached the UEFA Champions League final for the second
time in three years as Antoine Griezmann's second-half strike proved enough to
edge out Bayern München in a match in which both sides missed penalties.
Atletico Madrid goal scorer Antoine Griezmann said the "better team had gone
through" after his side's dramatic progress on away goals past Bayern Munich to
the 2016 Champions League final.
Atletico went to Munich with a 1-0 lead from last week's first leg,
but Bayern soon
evened things up when Xabi Alonso's free kick was deflected past visiting
goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
A lightning counter-attack brought a vital away goal from Griezmann
for Atletico,
and even though Robert Lewandowski headed the teams level on aggregate late on,
Diego Simeone's side held on to progress to the final against Real
Madrid in Milan
on May 28.
Robert Lewandowski's header set up a tense finish, but Atletico held on after
Fernando Torres missed a penalty.
Bayern, backed by a vociferous home crowd, desperately pressed for a third goal
that would send them through.
However, they could not find a way past Oblak, who blocked David Alaba's 20-yard
volley in injury time.
Atletico, aiming to be crowned European champions for the first time, will meet
Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final in Milan on 28 May.
City face Atletico's neighbours at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday after the
teams drew 0-0 in last week's first leg.
Third time lucky for Atletico?
Atletico have lost twice in the final of Europe's leading club competition - to
Bayern in the 1974 European Cup and against neighbours Real two years ago.
Against a team playing in their fifth successive semi-final, they
produced another
display of remarkable defiance at the Allianz Arena.
German champions Bayern had 33 attempts on goal and 72% of possession - but it
still was not enough to beat the gritty Spaniards.
The hallmark of Atletico's recent success has been their strength in
defence, with
Simeone's side developing a reputation as one of the toughest teams in Europe to
break down.
However, the quality of their clinical attack should not be overlooked.
Atletico had not even managed a single touch in the Bayern penalty area until
Griezmann fired in from the edge of the box.
The France striker marginally beat the Bayern offside trap, latching
on to Torres'
through ball before coolly drilling underneath Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer.
More Spanish misery for Pep
Guardiola is regarded as one of the world's greatest coaches, having
won trophies
galore with both Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But the Spaniard will leave for Manchester City in the summer having failed to
deliver the Champions League in his three-year spell in Bavaria.
Guardiola had acknowledged that winning the club's sixth European crown - or not
- would be how his reign at Bayern was judged.
His side lost against Spanish opposition in the semi-finals in each of
the past two
seasons - to Real Madrid in 2014 and his former club Barcelona last year.
Atletico were well placed to make it an unwanted hat-trick after Saul Niguez's
sublime first-leg goal in Madrid put them in control.
The Spanish title hopefuls rode their luck at times after Alonso's opener,
particularly in the first half when they were outclassed by an
aggressive and high-
pressing Bayern side.
But they regrouped after the break, keeping their discipline and shape
as Bayern's
12th successive Champions League home win proved meaningless.
"We tried to press them high, have counter-attacks and this was why we got the
goal," said former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Torres.
Not Muller time
Muller was named in the Bayern starting line-up after he was
surprisingly left on
the bench in Madrid last week.
Guardiola was heavily criticised in the German media for that
decision, with Muller
- who has scored 32 goals in 46 matches this season - so often a match-winner
for club and country.
But the Germany forward's most decisive contribution in the second leg
was failing
to convert his first-half spot-kick.
That would have put Bayern ahead in the tie for the first time, just
as Atletico's
usually unruffled defence started to look rattled.
"The missed penalty gave us life," said Atletico coach Simeone, who was close to
tears after Griezmann's goal.
Manchester City failed to reach their first Champions League final after an
uninspiring semi-final second-leg display at 10-time winners Real Madrid.
After a goalless draw in the first leg, Real took the lead when Gareth
Bale's cross
deflected off City's Fernando.
Fernandinho clipped the post in a rare City chance, but Real dominated
as Bale hit
the bar and Joe Hart saved from Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real saw out the win to meet Atletico Madrid in the final later this month.
The English side knew they potentially only needed one away goal to
progress, but
appeared reluctant to go for broke in the final stages - despite being
encouraged to
attack by the vocal 4,500 away supporters.
The home side's only other moment of concern came in the closing minutes when
Sergio Aguero's speculative effort flew on to the roof of the goal.
Now they will meet Atletico at Milan's San Siro on 28 May, in a repeat
of the 2014
final which Real won 4-1 after extra-time.
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