Fernando Torres hits double as Atlético end Real’s Copa del Rey defence

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/15/fernando-torres-atletico-real-madrid-copa-del-rey

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When Fernando Torres returned to Atlético Madrid, 45,000 fans turned up to welcome him home. Microphone in hand, he asked them what he had done to deserve such a reception. Three days later he defeated Real Madrid for the first time as an Atlético player; eight days after that he scored two to knock their great rivals out of the Copa del Rey. He had never scored at the Santiago Bernabéu before.

Real’s defeat on aggregate prompted an apology from Cristiano Ronaldo who at least managed to score the hosts’ second equaliser.

“It’s impossible to be at 100% in every game,” the world player of the year said. “I am not from another planet. On behalf of the team I apologise, maybe we could have done things better.”

Twice, in the first minute of each half, Torres put Atlético, who had won the first leg 2-0, into the lead. Atlético have gone five games unbeaten against Real and it is they who will meet Barcelona in the quarter-final.

“When Fernando came out of our academy he was very young for everything that happened to him but he responded very well,” Diego Simeone, the Atlético manager, said. “He left and grew up and now he is a man. I’m very happy for him. The fans are happy, his arrival is doing us good, even though some doubted him.”

Torres’s impact on the first game was limited but here it was immediate and transformational. Ronaldo had barely put down the Ballon d’Or he had paraded pre-match when Atlético took the lead. It was the fastest goal Atlético had ever scored in this stadium, after only 46 seconds.

The ball was spread left for Antoine Griezmann. Pepe lurched towards him, seeking to intercept, but misjudged and the Frenchman was away. Torres was on the other side and, although Sergio Ramos appeared to be covering his run, the delivery was perfect, drawing Ramos in before fading away from him. The ball bounced and Torres side-footed first time into the top corner with his left foot.

Before the game the talk had been of an epic Real comeback. Alvaro Arbeloa called for fans to be at the stadium two hours before kick off. “You score the first goal,” he had said. In private Carlo Ancelotti was urging his players not to get carried away. A goal per half would be enough; it was important not to let Atlético score away. Now they had, and in the first minute. “The early goal allowed us to play the way we wanted; we never feared being knocked out,” Torres said.

He was only half right. His second goal killed this tie, the first did not. Real had to replicate the 4-1 victory they had achieved over Atlético in last season’s Champions League final – and without extra time. The parallel continued when Ramos made it 1-1 with a header from a corner, just like in Lisbon. Suddenly Real believed that this was possible.

They poured forward, reducing Atlético’s possession to less than 20% but crashing constantly into a defensive wall. Chances fell, though. By the half hour they were running at a shot every two minutes.

The best opportunity came to Ronaldo near the penalty spot but his shot was blocked. His header was then blocked by Juanfran got in the way of a header, another shot came off Miranda, James Rodríguez’s effort looped over and Jan Oblak saved easily from Marcelo. It had felt like Atlético were on the ropes and yet Oblak had not made any striking stops.

At the break Real knew they faced a difficult task but not an impossible one. And then Torres did it again. Another mistake set Griezmann away. He found Torres inside the area, Pepe dived and Torres coolly cut back on to his right foot and finished. This time 37 seconds had passed. “When they first drew level they saw their chance,” said Torres, “but when we made it 1-2 we saw the game was in our hands.”

Even then Real did not give in, and eight minutes later Gareth Bale dinked in a lovely cross from the left which Ronaldo glanced home with a well-placed header. There were 36 minutes left; Real needed a goal every 12 minutes. But, curiously, Torres now made another key contribution, by departing and allowing Arda Turan to let his team take control of the game for the first time, slowing down the ball and the pulse.

Benzema volleyed over from five yards and Ronaldo headed into Oblak’s hands, but they were isolated moments, and emotionally the Bernabéu had changed. Attacks were fuelled by obligation now, not optimism. Shots came but not fast enough; the clock ran quicker. The same clock that showed just 47 and 37 seconds when Torres twice slipped in the knife.