Real Madrid Clinch Tenth UEFA Champions League Crown in Dramatic Victory
Real Madrid steal victory from Atletico with extra time charge.
The dust and confetti have settled and at the end of a dramatic night in Lisbon, two rivals find themselves at the end of a grueling battle for the Champions League title that went into extra time. Real Madrid CF has come out on top over city-rivals Atlético Madrid with a final score of 4-1.
The UEFA Champions League trophy has been lifted for the tenth time by the Spanish giants Real Madrid. "La Decima," a dream that they have been chasing for the past 12 years. The 2013/2014 UEFA Champions League season was decided on May 24 at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon Portugal where two teams coming from the same city battled for the Champions League title for the first time in 59 years since the event's inception.
Atlético make a head start
The score line betrays the true story of the night. It may look like a convincing victory Real Madrid, but at the end of regulation time, It was Atlético on top, 1-0.
Diego Simeone looked set to be only the third non-EU manager to win the European title as the clock ran out and regulation time came to an end. Atlético had taken the lead on the 36th minute in the first half with a header from Godin that lobbed past Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas who misjudged the situation and came forward to leave the goal line unattended.
Atlético looked sharp throughout the match but the goal was really the only solid opportunity that they had but it looked to be all they needed.
Atlético star Diego Costa looked on from the sidelines still in his playing gear after being pulled out of the match on the 9th minute with persistent hamstring issues. He was in doubt to make an appearance for the final and was only announced to be in the starting line up at the very last minute. That turned out to have more of a psychological effect than anything else as he hardly made an impact with only less than ten minutes on the pitch. His absence did not discourage his team however, and they fought on and hardly made the limp noticeable.
Stoppage time heartbreak
At the end of 90 minutes, Atlético were still on top from their lone goal from the first half. Real Madrid had been desperately trying to find an opening but Atlético were able to effectively neutralize the genius that is Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who was expected to shine in a match held in front of millions of his home fans.
Gareth Bale, the most expensive player in the world at the moment, had his fair share of opportunities but also fell short. The game gained intensity towards the last few desperate minutes as Real Madrid tried to fight their way back into the game. This resulted in 12 yellow cards and five minutes of stoppage time.
Salvation came for Real in the form of a crucial 93rd minute goal from co-captain Sergio Ramos. A man who has now headed three crucial goals for his team this season including two against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
Momentum shift
The game was forced into overtime due to Ramos' equaliser and the intensity of the last few minutes left players cramping up all over the field. Everyone would be running on motivation alone for the next half hour.
Atlético had victory hanging right in front of their nose and the late equaliser threw them off balance. Extra time saw Real play with renewed vigor and it was only a matter of time before Angel di Maria broke away and attempted a shot that was saved by Courtois only to be caught off the bounce at the other end of the goal by a perfectly placed header by Gareth Bale.
Real Madrid have gone ahead for the first time in 110 minutes and the momentum has shifted. Atlético are defeated.
Driving in the point
Soon after the goal that put them ahead, Real Madrid continued to drive in the point with another goal from substitute Marcelo who changed the pace of the game from the moment he came in for Fabio Coentrao at the 58th minute.
To seal the deal, a late tackle inside the box provided the perfect ending for Real Madrid: a penalty kick by Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who was not able to find an opportunity to shine no doubt due to specific instructions to Atlético's players to keep him at bay.
Bringing home La Decima
Real Madrid are champions of Europe for the 10th time. La decimal dream. Some of the team's legends who had lifted the 9th were in attendance to witness the victory including former captains Fernando Hierro and Raul Gonzalez Blanco. Real Madrid are the most successful club in Champions league history followed by AC Milan with 7 wins, two of which (2003, 2007) were with Carlo Ancelotti, the same man behind Real Madrid now.
The team flew straight back to Madrid where fans have gathered around the Cibeles fountain to see their heroes. The team was in high spirits despite arriving at nearly 6 in the morning and thanked all the fans for their support and draped the fountain with the Real Madrid flag. It was a historic night full of action and drama up to the very last minute. Atlético will have to wait for their maiden win while Real Madrid make history with their tenth.
