Real Madrid forward Brahim nets winner in 2-1 home victory over rivals Atletico in Round-of-16 first leg; hopes team can continue the good work in next week’s return clash
Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz takes off on a celebratory run after scoring against Atletico. Pic/Getty Images
Real Madrid claimed an edge on city rivals Atletico Madrid with a tight 2-1 Champions League last 16 first leg win on Tuesday. Julian Alvarez levelled for Atletico soon after the half hour mark after Rodrygo Goes sent the hosts ahead in the fourth minute, but Brahim Diaz stroked home a 55th-minute winner for the Los Blancos much to the delight the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.ADVERTISEMENT“I think we played a complete game today, [my] goal was good and it earned us the win, but it’s not over. There’s still the second leg and we have to give everything, like we did today,” Diaz told Movistar after the game. Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who lost in the 2014 and 2016 finals against their bitter rivals, kept stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe quiet but still came up short. Also Read: Sreesanth backs India to win finalAtletico played it safe in the final stages, seeming to accept their one-goal disadvantage for the second-leg derby clash at home next week. Meanwhile, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was pleased with the result, believing that his side achieved what they set out to do. “The second half was better [than the first], we worked hard, defended well, our objective was to take a small advantage into the second leg and we did it,” said Ancelotti.
Rodrygo pounced after just four minutes, slipping inside Javi Galan to collect Valverde’s teasing pass before firing home with his left foot across Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Alvarez equalised with a brilliant individual goal, dancing away from Eduardo Camavinga on the left of the box and curling his shot past Thibaut Courtois into the top corner.
Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo De Paul helped Atletico keep control for long periods, with Madrid finding it hard to take the ball back from their rivals. However, against the run of play, Diaz restored Los Blancos’ lead early in the second half. He left Gimenez on the floor with some quick footwork and carved out the space for a tidy low finish. Madrid nearly scored a third in injury-time when Mbappe’s cut-back from the right was met with a tame shot from Modric which was easily saved by Oblak.
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Real Madrid claimed an edge on city rivals Atletico Madrid with a tight 2-1 Champions League last 16 first leg win on Tuesday. Julian Alvarez levelled for Atletico soon after the half hour mark after Rodrygo Goes sent the hosts ahead in the fourth minute, but Brahim Diaz stroked home a 55th-minute winner for the Los Blancos much to the delight the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
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“I think we played a complete game today, [my] goal was good and it earned us the win, but it’s not over. There’s still the second leg and we have to give everything, like we did today,” Diaz told Movistar after the game. Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who lost in the 2014 and 2016 finals against their bitter rivals, kept stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe quiet but still came up short.
Also Read: Sreesanth backs India to win final
Atletico played it safe in the final stages, seeming to accept their one-goal disadvantage for the second-leg derby clash at home next week. Meanwhile, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was pleased with the result, believing that his side achieved what they set out to do. “The second half was better [than the first], we worked hard, defended well, our objective was to take a small advantage into the second leg and we did it,” said Ancelotti.
Rodrygo pounced after just four minutes, slipping inside Javi Galan to collect Valverde’s teasing pass before firing home with his left foot across Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Alvarez equalised with a brilliant individual goal, dancing away from Eduardo Camavinga on the left of the box and curling his shot past Thibaut Courtois into the top corner.
Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo De Paul helped Atletico keep control for long periods, with Madrid finding it hard to take the ball back from their rivals. However, against the run of play, Diaz restored Los Blancos’ lead early in the second half. He left Gimenez on the floor with some quick footwork and carved out the space for a tidy low finish. Madrid nearly scored a third in injury-time when Mbappe’s cut-back from the right was met with a tame shot from Modric which was easily saved by Oblak.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
