On Tuesday, for the seventh time this season, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid met in a match. But the latest installment of the Madrid Derby was the most important of the seven clashes, as it was the first leg of their clash in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. And while there were no goals scored between the two sides, Atleti was the big winner of the match.
When the draw for quarterfinal round was announced, many were relieved that Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich were not put against one another, so that those mega clubs wouldn’t be eliminated until later in the competition. But that thinking does a tremendous disservice to Atletico Madrid, the team that outlasted both Barca and Real en route to La Liga’s crown last season, and nearly denied Real the Champions League crown as well before falling in extra time of the final. Based on recent club performances, its more of a shame that Atleti and Real were put against each other than it would have been for Barca to have been drawn into a matchup with a mega club.
With that said, if there’s one team that won’t get upset about drawing Real Madrid, it’s Atleti, who have proven time and time again to be up to the challenge of taking on Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. After Tuesday’s draw, the rojiblancos have gone unbeaten against Real in seven matches during the 2014-2015 campaign in various competitions, with the seventh of those matches being the most important.
Real Madrid fired twice as many shots as Atletico Madrid in the match, with Real also having the majority of the ball. As has been the case all year long, though, the shots and possession did not translate into goals for Real. Over their seven clashes this season, Real Madrid has scored just four goals against Atletico Madrid, a number far below the usual average of Los Blancos. Given Real’s spotty form as a whole this season, numbers like that can only mean positive things for Atleti going into leg number two.
Most importantly, the scoreless draw means that the often criticized away goals tiebreaker in the Champions League can only serve to help Atletico Madrid should the teams end up level on aggregate after the second match. At worst, a scoreless draw would send the two teams to extra time and penalty kicks, while a draw with any goals in it would see Atleti through to the semifinals on away goals.
Perhaps more important than any tiebreaker scenarios, though, is the message sent by Atleti in their matches with Real Madrid this season.
After losing in agonizing fashion to Real in last year’s Champions League final, Atletico could have folded to their geographic rivals in future fixtures given the disparity in momentum between the clubs. But Atleti has stood tall and played as the hungrier club in the subsequent matches between the sides. In such closely contested matchups as the first leg of this round of the tournament, desire alone could be the factor that decides who advances to the semifinals.
Furthermore, the longer Real go without beating Atleti, the more Atleti’s confidence against Real can grow, and the more Real are left to doubt their ability to beat their Madrid counterparts. With Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale struggling throughout this season, and with pressure on Carlo Ancelotti to win a trophy or risk losing his job, this is the last thing Real Madrid need.
While a scoreless draw in the first leg between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid means that a home win for Real Madrid in leg two puts them into the semifinals, there is plenty of reason to believe that Atleti can and will advance. That alone makes Atleti the big winners in leg one of the Champions League quarterfinals.