Champions League | Ronaldo secures away win for Real at Bayern; Atletco, Monaco win
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A Cristiano Ronaldo brace ensured Real Madrid will return for the second leg quarter-final tie to the Santiago Bernabeu with a lead after beating Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Allianz Arena yesterday. Antoine Griezmann's penalty was enough for Atletico Madrid to overcome English Champions Leicester City.
Termed the final before the final had some of its shine taken off as Robert Lewandowski was declared unfit for the first leg against Rea Madrid. However, it was the home side who took the lead through Arturo Vidal in the 25th minute. The Chilean rose highest from a Thiago Alcantara corner to put the hosts ahead in the game. The former Juventus player then had a great chance of doubling his team's lead from the penalty spot, but he blasted it over the bar to go into the second half with a slender 1-0 lead.
The second half was the Cristiano Ronaldo show as the Portuguese ended a seven-month Champions League goal drought to level the score in the first minute of the second half. Real were to inflict more misery on the German side when Javi Martinez was sent off for a second bookable offense on Ronaldo. The Portuguese made the Germans pay 13 minutes from time with a brilliantly timed run into the box to tuck in the winner from close range. It was only down to the heroics of Manuel Neuer that Bayern can head into the second leg next week with just a one goal deficit.
Leicester fairytale hits roadblock after dodgy penalty
After beating Sevilla in the last round, Leicester City made another trip to Spain to face last season's runner-ups Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon. Like in the game against Sevilla, it was all one-way traffic for most parts of the game as Atletico showed off their dominance by creating wave after wave of attacks with Koke coming closest when his shot hit the post.
The only goal of the game came in the 28th minute when the referee awarded a penalty to the home side for Marc Albrighton's foul on Antoine Griezmann. Replays, however, suggested that the initial contact had been made outside the penalty box. Griezmann stepped up and sent Kasper Schmeichel, who saved two penalties against Sevilla, the wrong way to give Atletico the lead. Leicester will now welcome the Spaniards to the King Power stadium next week to keep their "dream" alive.
Kylian Mbappe brace sinks Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund's game against AS Monaco was delayed by 24 hours after an attack on the hosts' bus on April 11 had seen the match being postponed. It was teenager Kylian Mbappe who opened the scoring on the night when he diverted Thomas Lemar's cross into the net to give the away side the lead. Things got worse for the Germans as Sven Bender's own goal doubled the deficit before half time.
Dortmund came out for the second half ready for a fight and were rewarded when Ousmane Dembele put the home side on the scoresheet from a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang flick. But things got worse for Dortmund 11 minutes from time as but Mbappe curled in another goal to give the French side three away goals in the tie. Shinji Kagawa added another goal for the Germans but it was too little too late. Dortmund will now have to dig deep in the second leg at the Stade Louis II, where Monaco average three goals a game this year.
