Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid (aet): How Real won their 10th European Cup

The Game

Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 after extra time in the Champions League final, overcoming a staunch Atleti defense to win the fatigue battle and push through in the second period of extra time. The turning point? Sergio Ramos' towering header on a late corner to give Real Madrid a dramatic equalizer.

The Goals

After the Real backline headed clear a Koke corner for Atleti, Godin made a backward header under pressure. Meanwhile Iker Casillas had run to challenge and was...too late. He managed to palm it out but it had already crossed the line. 0-1 Atelti in the 36th minute.

The equalizer...who else? The defender Sergio Ramos again with a perfectly timed jump in traffic to meet the corner cross, a directed header, and the tying goal 90’, saving Real Madrid’s bacon.

Then in the second half of extra time, it all unravelled for a tiring Atleti. First a Bale goal from a stellar Di Maria cross, and the coup de grace in a Marcelo shot which Courtois should have saved, plus a ‘meh’ penalty conceded by Gabi which Ronaldo put away with aplomb.

The Deserved Winner

He drew a ton of fouls and was responsible for three opposition yellow cards. Angel Di Maria’s tireless crossing and probing runs set the example for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, who to their credit did carve out their own chances (and fail to take them in the early going). Yet it was his run past three Atelti players and the cross in the second half of extra time which gave Bale the winner.

The Honourable Loser

The central defender already booked his status ahead of this final by scoring the winner against Barcelona to give Atleti the league title last weekend, but Uruguayan Diego Godin’s opening goal, in addition to some of his heroics in the backline under pressure from Gareth Bale in the second half, stood out in a team of standouts.  

How high-scoring Real Madrid finally beat Atleti's incredible backline

Diego Simeone set up Atelti in a compact 4-4-2 for the first half, with Godin and Miranda the centre half pairing and the in-form Brazilian (though he’s a World Cup absentee) Filipe Luis playing left back. Atletico were their usual self: physical, unafraid to make disciplined tackles, and very clinical in possession, wasting no time on their route to goal. If there was a weak link, it was only briefly Thiago in the early going with a pair of giveaways that nearly allowed Real to set up in their preferred counter.

Real Madrid initially played deep, careful to ensure Alteti struggled to get the ball out to wide positions to cross but unable to force a convincing counterattack. It wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to say the least, but Godin’s goal in the 36th minute provided the impetus for Real Madrid to maniacally push forward in the dying stages of the game when it looked like Atleti would pull off a defensive masterclass.

Ironically, for all the talk of Real Madrid’s precision and ruthlessness on the counter, their prowess at set-pieces demonstrated against Bayern Munich came through in the nick of time when Sergio Ramos headed in from a corner in injury time.

After that, match fatigue became a factor for Atleti in extra time, leading to a late collapse against a rampant and attack minded Real. The game was essentially won by Sergio Ramos’ equalizer and lost by Atleti's fatigue.

The Controversy

A fuming Diego Simeone lost his mind in the final minute of extra time, walking out on the pitch and berating officials, Real Madrid players, the sky, god himself before getting wrestled off. What exactly he was upset with wasn’t clear, though he earlier flashed “five” at the ref, perhaps referring to a disagreement over the amount of injury time awarded at the end of the second half.  

The Takeaway

Real Madrid have La Decima, their tenth European Cup. This is the long-sought after trophy for Madrid, who prize the European Cup above all else. As for Carlo Ancelotti, this will buy him time and certainly will silence some of his Bernebeu critics upset over a disappointing league finish. It will also be viewed as a win for attacking football, with Real Madrid, a side averaging over three goals a game in the Champions League, win the top prize.

As for Diego Simeone, his Atleti still won the league against all odds and pushed Real Madrid to the very end. Many will put this defeat down to a lack of depth and the insane work rate of his first team. What happens to the side after this season is uncertain, but Atleti will face a great deal of pressure to sell some of their key assets.

Stray Thoughts

The opening ceremony, with dancers and costumes and singers mucking up the grass...are they really necessary for the host stadium? All they’ve done to prepare is to mow the pitch and ensure they haven’t double booked the place. The final is an occasion not in need of extra pageantry.  

So much for horse placentas: Diego Costa came off after ten minutes with his hamstring still bothering him after a much publicized trip to get the placenta treatment in Serbia. 

There were several amazing cutaways of an anguished or delighted Xabi Alonso, who is perhaps the coolest looking Real Madrid player in history.

And what was this guy doing?