Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid: Lineups and Live thread for the UEFA Champions League Semifinal second leg

Atlético Madrid have to overcome a 3 goal deficit against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals. We here at The Real Champs have you covered with the lineups, and we will continue to update you throughout the match.

Pre-Match

(11:45PM CST) In the final Champions League match and Madrid Derby to ever be held in the Vicente Calderon, Diego Simeone’s men have a mountain to climb. They have to overturn a three goal deficit while maintaining a clean sheet against a Real Madrid team that hasn’t failed to score since the semifinals of the previous Champions League campaign.

(11:50PM CST) Before the lineups for both teams come out, let’s take a look at the record breaking numbers Real Madrid will carry into this match:

60 straight games with at least a goal:

One of the most surprising statistics by far from this 2016/2017 team is this figure. Zidane’s men have not been held out of goal since the first leg of the Champions League semifinal last season against Manchester City on the road.

In fact, Zidane has seen his team not score in a match just 3 times since taking over as manager. That’s 82 out of 85 matches under Zidane that Los Blancos have scored once.

With a goal today, Real would tie the long standing Bayern Munich record set under Jupp Heynckes and Pep Guardiola which saw their Bavarian side score in 61 straight.

First team to ever win all their knockout stage matches in the UCL:

Real Madrid are trying to become the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles, a feat that has never been accomplished in the competition’s 62 years. Another feat that has yet to be reached, is winning every single knockout stage game in a season.

Real Madrid are just one step away from reaching this mark, having won their previous 5 matches through the knockout stage and are one match away from going undefeated. Real actually haven’t lost a Champions League match since April 6th, 2016 when they lost to VFL Wolfsburg in the first leg of the quarterfinal in Germany.

76 away goals this season:

Another record breaking mark for the Royal Whites, is the amount of goals they’ve poured in while away from the friendly confines of the Santiago Bernabéu. Scoring 76 goals in all away matches this season, Real are averaging an outstanding 3.04 goals per away match.

This breaks the previous record held by FC Barcelona in 2014/2015 when the Catalan side scored 75 away goals, averaging 2.59 goals per away match.

Whatever Zinedine Zidane is telling his team when the play on the road is clearly working. Let’s hope it continues today.

(12:15PM CST) Check out what’s going on outside the stadium as the teams begin arriving at the Estadio Vicente Calderon!

Could Antoine Griezmann be deployed to the wing today in Diego Simeone’s 4-4-2 today?

(12:33PM CST) The lineups are out:

Real Madrid will deploy their strongest side for today’s match! It will be interesting to see where Zidane decides to play Isco, either in his natural position as an attacking center midfielder, or as a right winger in a 4-3-3 formation.

I expect Zidane to want more numbers in the midfield and with Casemiro starting, there will be basically 5 defenders at all times on the field.

With Ronaldo and Benzema the two strikers up top, Real will also be better suited to hit Atleti on the counter attack with pace.

Danilo starts in place of the injured Dani Carvajal. It should be interesting to see how the streaky right back plays against Fernando Torres an Griezmann up top.

It’s a very similar lineup from Diego Simeone today that we saw a week ago. The only real change is Fernando Torres will start, and so will Griezmann and Carrasco, clearly indicating a more attacking mindset and a possible formation change.

(12:46PM CST) Real have arrived at the stadium and are entering the locker room now! Check out the video of the team arriving!

(1:07PM CST) Ronaldo has been nothing short of amazing in the Champions League in his career. After back-to-back hat tricks, can The Dark Invader come up with another big performance in his last trip to the Vicente Calderon?

(1:12PM CST) The goalkeepers are out to warm up and the teams should each be out on the pitch warming up soon. We are just a half hour away from kickoff!

(1:19PM CST) The Real Madrid defense was stingy in the first leg, only allowing one shot on goal the entire match. But, with Dani Carvajal out today with a leg injury, and Danilo starting over Nacho at right back, will Los Blancos be able to hold off the Atleti attack?

(1:25PM CST) A report from Marca says that a Real Madrid fan has been injured while walking into the stadium today ahead of the match. Although escorted by the Madrid National Police, Atlético fans seem to have been throwing rocks and bottles at the Real fans, hitting and injuring one.

(1:32PM CST) The teams are both out warming up on the field, and the chants are already in full swing. Bot the Real Madrid fans and thee Atletico fans are chanting back and forth like the match has already begun. This should be a very fun match to watch.

(1:36PM CST) Real Madrid will wear their black uniforms today, while Atlético will wear their usual red and white striped home uniforms.

(1:45PM CST) The players are on the pitch. It’s time for kickoff!

First Half

KICKOFF! Real Madrid begin in possession.

(0′) Sergio Ramos runs into Fernando Torres going for the ball. Ramos is down and looking at the ref who called a foul on the play.

(3′) Ronaldo puts a weak shot on goal, saved by Oblak. Isco with some nifty dribbles on the right wing leading to the Ronaldo shot.

(4′) Yellow card given to Danilo for a hard foul on Filipe Luis. He caught him up around the face and the referee was quick to show the first yellow of the match.

(5′) GREAT SAVE from Keylor Navas on Carrasco! He tried to sneak it in the near post, but there was Navas! The ensuing corner for Atleti goes narrowly over the crossbar!

(6′) Savic picks up a yellow card after going in hard on Isco. The free kick from Real Madrid is a beauty, put on goal by Casemiro but saved by Oblak! Both keepers called into action early in this match.

(11′) Very good defense from Varane and Danilo on the right side leads to an Atlético corner! And Saúl heads the ball into the net on a great cross for the GOAL and it’s 1-0 to Atlético Madrid!

(14′) Chance on the counter for Real Madrid coming in 3 on 2 but a bad pass from Isco leads to an Atleti goal kick. Tough start for Danilo who makes another poor pass.

Take a look at Saúl’s goal to open the game:

(15′) Varane trips Fernando Torres in the box and it’s a penalty for Atlético Madrid! Atleti arguing for a red card. Griezmann will step up to take the penalty.

(16′) And Griezmann scores! It’s 2-0 to Atlético Madrid in just the 16th minute and the crowd is going absolutely ballistic. Los Blancos need an answer now with a goal of their own.

Griezmann’s penalty is almost saved by Navas!

(18′) Real Madrid get a corner, but it’s a poor cross from Toni Kroos who has been absent for the majority of the first half. Isco is fouled by Griezmann, leading to another Real Madrid corner.

(22′) Real Madrid starting to get some possession, but the Atlético defense is holding tough against the attack. Real need to have more from Karim Benzema up front. He has done basically nothing thus far.

(23′) Tough challenge from Godín on Modric leads to some pushing and shoving. The referee has to step in to separate the two.

(27′) Real Madrid with 60% possession now in the match after struggling to hold the ball in the first 10 minutes.

(29′) Modric is fouled again by Koke right at the midfield line. Zidane is yelling at the fourth official, demanding a card for the Atleti midfielder. Just a warning.

Next: How Zinedine Zidane completely nullified Atletico Madrid’s 4-4-2 in the UCL First Leg

(32′) Hard challenge from Casemiro on Griezmann. Probably should’ve been a yellow for the Brazilan, but the referee gives another warning.

(35′) This game is getting very chippy, and the referee takes both Diego Godín and Sergio Ramos aside and shows them both yellow. This game could get out of hand if the officials aren’t careful.

(38′) Foul called on Isco to the protest of Gabi, who is hounding the referee to show Isco a yellow. However, he ends up receiving one himself. Now both Atleti’s and Real’s captains are in the book in this first half.

(41′) Another chance for Real with a corner, it’s straight to Oblak who clears the danger.

(42′) GOOAAAAALLLLL!!! Isco picks up the rebound after the Toni Kroos shot and Real Madrid get the crucial away goal before the half! It’s 2-1 Atlético Madrid, Isco with his first Champions League goal of the season.

Can’t say enough about the fantastic run from Karim Benzema who slips through 3 Atlético defenders on the touch line, and makes a perfect pass to Kroos. What. A. Play.

Take a look at the goal:

(45′) Fernando Torres goes flying into Keylor Navas trying to steal the ball, both players go tumbling to the ground and the medical staff is out to check on Navas.

(45′ + 2) A free kick for Atlético awarded after a Real hand ball. The cross into the box is headed well wide of the net and the whistle blows for the first half.

Halftime: Atlético Madrid 2 – Real Madrid 1

Real Madrid get the huge away goal from Isco in the 42nd minute to pull within a goal on the scoreboard, but take an enormous 4-2 aggregate lead, forcing Atleti to now score 3 goals in order to advance to the Champions League final.

Karim Benzema with the play of the half, dribbling past three Atlético defenders and making a great pass to Toni Kroos who set up the goal from Isco.

Isco is the player of the half according to WhoScored with a 7.9 rating, finishing the half with a goal, completing 32 of 34 passes, and making 5 dribbles. A great half from ‘the bandy legged bandit.’

Real Madrid were deserving of that rebound goal from Isco according to the stats courtesy of Squawka:

Second Half

KICKOFF! Atlético will start with the ball.

(47′) A corner for Real Madrid as they continue the pressure, leads to a free kick from Ronaldo that he tries to take on a tight angle! Saved again by Oblak as it sneaks through traffic. Real trying to keep the Calderon crowd quiet.

(49′) Foul on Isco just outside the box as the Spaniard runs into Gimenez and the fans are disappointed that there is no yellow shown. A good place for a free kick, as Griezmann takes the shot just over the top of the goal!

(52′) Isco gets brought down while dribbling through the midfield, but fights through the challenge, gets back up, and continues his run. What can’t this man do?

(57′) Atlético Madrid are going to make two substitutes: Fernando Torres comes off for Gameiro. Simeone also decides to bring on Thomas for Giménez

(62′) Casemiro gets fouled and the referee considers showing the yellow card, but decides against it.

(63′) The Atleti crowd continue to sing and will their team on despite the circumstances.

(66′) Keylor Navas with two stunning saves! He stops the initial shot from Carrasco and the rebound header from Gameiro out for a corner. That was a MASSIVE play there! The header from Gameiro went straight back to Navas who just did enough to tip the ball wide.

(70′) A one time volley from Modric sneaks its way into the back of the net! But, Ronaldo appears to have touched it and was in the offside position, so the goal doesn’t count.

(73′) Foul called on Godín as he pulls Casemiro down inside the box. Angel Correa looks ready to come on as Atleti’s final substitute.

(74′) Benzema with a chance to all but seal it for Real Madrid as he has a great header chance! But, again, it just goes wide.

(76′) It is Koke who will exit for Correa as the final Atlético sub. Real Madrid will make two substitutes of their own with Maro Asensio and Lucas Vasquez coming on to replace Casemiro and Karim Benzema. Ronaldo will move to the number 9 position and Isco will drop a little deeper with Asensio now on.

(78′) Los Blancos with a chance to hit back on the counter as Isco makes a fantastic run up the left wing but, his cross to Ronaldo is just a little short as Gabi heads the ball back to the goalkeeper Oblak.

(82′) A sustained attack from Atlético for the last couple minutes yields nothing as Real Madrid do a great job defending. Navas punches a ball clear, and Isco gets fouled trying to play it.

(84′) Another failed attack from Atleti leads to Diego Simeone taking off his jacket and throwing it into the stands behind the bench. The frustration has gotten to the normally positive Simeone.

Next: Theo Hernandez completes medical with Real Madrid, set to sign 5-year deal

(86′) Yellow card shown to the substitute, Angel Correa, who slides into Ronaldo recklessly. That is now four yellow cards for Atlético.

(87′) The final substitute for Real Madrid will be Alvaro Morata for Isco. As the goal scorer Isco leaves the field, the traveling Real Madrid fans heap their praise on another wonderful performance from the midfielder.

(89′) The sky seems to have opened up as it begins to pour here in the Calderon for the final couple of minutes. Navas makes another good save on shot that was redirected from outside the box, but it wouldn’t have counted either wa.

(90′ +2) Lightning and torrential rain will send the Vicente Calderon out in style. The fans sing their praises for the efforts of their team. Navas makes another great save as the whistle blows! Real Madrid are through to their second consecutive Champions League final to face Juventus!

FULL-TIME: Atlético Madrid 2 – Real Madrid 1 ( 2 – 4 on aggregate)

That’s going to conclude our live thread coverage for today’s match. Be sure to follow The Real Champs on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on all Real Madrid news!