Atletico Madrid Buktikan Layak jadi Klub `Elit` Eropa
Atletico Madrid Return to Europe`s Elite
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Madrid (B2B) - Atletico Madrid maju ke perempat final Liga Champions setelah menghancurkan AC Milan 4-1 (agregat 5-1) pada pertandingan kedua babak 16 turnamen ini di kandangnya Vicente Calderon Rabu dini hari ini.
Atletico unggul 1-0 dalam hanya tiga menit sejak kick off setelah Diego Costa mencetak gol ke-28-nya dalam musim ini lewat tendangan volley akrobatik yang mengecoh kiper Christian Abbiati usai menerima umpan silang matang dari Koke yang dikreasi dari manuver Gabi, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Pada menit 27 Milan menyamakan kedudukan setelah Kaka yang berlari tak terkawal menyeruak untuk menyambut umpan Andrea Poli lewat tandukannya. Sundulan kerasnya ini sempat menyentuh badan Juanfran sehingga mengecoh Thibaut Courtois.
Tiga belas menit kemudian pada menit 40, Atletico kembali unggul setelah Arda Turan melepaskan tendangan volley yang sempat menyentuh badan Adil Ramli sebelum melewati Abbiati di sudut gawang Milan. Kedudukan berubah 2-1 dan posisi ini tak berubah sampai babak pertama tuntas.
Memasuki babak kedua, Milan berusaha lebih menggedor Atletico ketika pelatih Clarence Seedorf menarik Adel Taarabt untuk memasukkan Robinho.
Hasilnya Milan memang berubah tajam dengan tetap mendominasi sirkulasi bola, namun tuan rumah Atletico Madrid juga semakin taktis bermain. Kedua tim saling berbalas peluang di bawah atmosfer pertandingan yang berubah lebih keras.
Atletico lebih dulu menciptakan peluang lewat Diego Costa yang menciptakan dua peluang bagus yang salah satunya diblok Rami, sebelum Gabi nyaris memperbesar keunggulan Atletico setelah tendangannya membentur tiang gawang Milan.
Balotelli juga sempat membahayakan Atletico setelah mengeksekusi tendangan bebas menyusul pelanggaran Mario Suarez terhadap dirinya. Sayang bola hasil tendangan penjurunya dibelokkan seorang pemain Atletico.
Beberapa menit kemudian Balotelli melakukan penetrasi berbahaya yang memancing kiper Thibaut Courtois bereaksi cepat menghadang sundulan Michael Essien yang menerima umpan Balotelli.
Di sisi lain, Atletico tidak menurunkan hasratnya menambah gol setelah Miranda yang memanfaatkan tendangan penjuru Gabi memaksa Abbiati melakukan penyelamatan gemilang.
Seedorf lalu memasukkan Giampaolo Pazzini untuk menarik Essien, namun tiga menit setelah masuknya Pazziani, pada menit 71 malah Atletico menambah gol setelah Raul Garcia melompat melewati dua pemain Milan untuk menyambut set-piece sempurna Gabi guna menaklukan Abbiati. Skor berubah 3-1 atau agregat 4-1. AC Milan pun menjadi nyaris mustahil mengatasi defisit besar ini.
Empat belas menit kemudian pada menit 85, Diego Costa menciptakan gol keduanya atau gol keempat Atletico yang memuskilkan Milan lolos ke perempatfinal Liga Champions musim ini. Itu adalah gol ketujuh Costa dalam Liga Champions musim ini.
Atletico pun maju ke perempatfinal dengan agregat 5-1, sebaliknya di babak ini Italia tak menempatkan satu pun wakilnya.
Milan kemasukkan empat gol dalam satu pertandingan untuk pertama kalinya dalam sejarah Liga Champions yang tiga diantaranya tercipta di Spanyol.
Milan selalu gagal membalikkan keadaan untuk mengubah defisit hasil laga leg pertama dalam lima kesempatan pada semua laga Eropa sebelumnya, kecuali saat melawan FC Saarbrucken pada putaran pertama Piala Eropa 1955/56.
Madrid - Atletico Madrid booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 17 years as they beat AC Milan 4-1 at the Vicente Calderon to progress 5-1 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Diego Costa struck the winner in the first leg three weeks ago and it took him just three minutes to double Atletico´s advantage as he acrobatically turned home Koke´s cross.
Milan were given hope when Kaka headed home Andrea Poli´s cross on 27 minutes, but Arda Turan restored Atletico´s lead on the night before half-time when his volley from the edge of the box deflected past Christian Abbiati.
Raul Garcia´s header made it 3-1 before Costa rounded off a fine individual display with his seventh Champions League goal of the campaign six minutes from time.
Costa´s two goals took his tally for the season to 29 and he hailed the impact made by the Atletico fans.
Milan boss Clarence Seedorf had insisted pre-match that the tie was still open despite losing the first leg at home, but it looked as if the Italian´s hopes had been killed off within minutes as Koke´s cross was hooked home on the volley by Costa.
The hosts were dealt a blow moments later, though, as Garcia was shown a yellow card that will keep him out of the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
After an early burst from Atletico, Milan were enjoying plenty of possession midway through the half, but didn´t look threatening until a lovely move opened up the Spanish side just before the half hour.
Mario Balotelli sprayed the ball wide to Poli and his cross was headed home at the back post by Kaka, though, it took a deflection off Miranda.
The Milan captain then had a great chance to put his side ahead in the tie on away goal when he nodded Adel Taarabt´s inviting cross just over.
Just four minutes later, the seven-time European champions were left to rue that miss as Garcia chested down for Arda on the edge of the box and his shot cannoned off Adil Rami and past the helpless Abbiati.
And Seedorf admitted that was the goal that sapped his side´s belief.
Garcia then came within inches of sealing the tie with a spectacular overhead kick from Juanfran´s cross that flew just past the far post
Atletico had another great chance to put the tie to bed within three minutes of the restart for the second-half as a rapid counter-attack from a Milan corner saw Costa tee up Gabi and his fierce strike came back off the outside of the post.
Simeone´s men did finally get the two-goal cushion on the night they craved when Garcia rose highest to power home Gabi´s free-kick 20 minutes from time.
Robinho nearly responded immediately as he blasted Kaka´s neat through ball onto the bar with Courtois beaten.
However, it was Atletico who were able to round off their first victory in a knockout tie of Europe´s premier club competition since 1978 when Costa arrowed in his second of the night off the far post.
