0-1: Madrid edge ahead in knockout tie

When the Champions League anthem rings out Actual Madrid realize it’s time to provide their greatest and that’s precisely what they did on the Estadi di Bergamo, because the group dug deep to safe the spoils towards Atalanta. Ferland Mendy’s aim 5 minutes from the dying handed the guests a valuable lead on their path to achieve the quarter-finals of Europe’s most prestigious competitors.

 

The Italians started the encounter by urgent excessive up on the Madrid defence and within the first 5 minutes two harmful crosses discovered their method throughout Thibaut Courtois’ aim. Zinedine Zidane’s aspect circulated the ball effectively and commenced to dictate the tempo of the sport. Vini Jr. was thwarted by the goalkeeper after a ball excessive from Isco, as Gollini appeared to foul the Brazilian within the course of. On 17’, the referee confirmed Freuler the crimson card after hurling down Mendy when the defender was by way of on aim.

 

Issues would go from unhealthy to worse for the hosts, who noticed Duván Zapata compelled off injured with half-an-hour gone, changed by Pašalić. That gave solution to a few of the best probabilities but for the madridistas. Isco and Vini Jr. had alternatives to open the scoring on 37’ and 38’ minutes, however their makes an attempt had been each deflected behind for corners, earlier than Asensio headed a wonderful Modrić cross straight into the goalkeeper’s gloves. The most effective probability to date although, fell to Casemiro, who turned a Kroos’ free-kick in the direction of aim however the end result wasn’t to be the identical because the duo’s connection towards Valladolid.

Zidane’s aspect continued to maneuver the ball round fluidly within the second interval, pinning Atalanta again deeper on a regular basis. A Modrić effort with the skin of his boot slid simply by the publish after taking a flick off a defender, earlier than Mariano was introduced on (57’) because the seek for a aim continued. Madrid then tried their luck from a free-kick however Asensio’s effort was stored out by Gollini.

 

Simply reward

The group refused to provide in and with simply quarter-hour left on the clock, each Sergio Arribas and Hugo Duro entered the fray. The ahead swiftly unleashed a fierce strike from the sting of the field however it got here again off an opposition defender. The Italians might discover no method out of Madrid’s relentless strain now and the Whites would get the aim their efforts merited with 86 minutes gone. A brief Kroos nook was picked up by Modrić, who laid the ball to Ferland Mendy. The Frenchman proceeded to bend a lovely right-footed effort into the again of the web from the sting of the field to seal a wonderful win on the night time. Actual Madrid and Atalanta lock horns as soon as once more to determine the tie on the Di Stéfano on March sixteenth.