Real Madrid vs Atletico: 7 Deadly Stats

Aditya Devavrat 01:30 03/05/2017
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  • The Madrid derby Champions League semi-final was expected to be a tight, tense affair, as Champions League meetings between these sides usually have been in recent years.

    Instead, Real Madrid blew away their city rivals, grabbing a 3-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu that, bar either a miracle or a stunning turnaround, all but guarantees their spot in the Champions League final, as Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a second straight Champions League hat-trick.

    Here are seven deadly stats from the first leg of this stunning semi-final.

    RONALDO > ATLETICO MADRID

    When Cristiano Ronaldo got the opener, he didn’t just put his side ahead of Atletico Madrid in the game.

    In doing so, Ronaldo moved ahead of Atletico in total Champions League goals, the red and white outfit from Madrid having registered 100 in their entire history compared to Ronaldo’s 103 by the end of the night.

    That’s right, the Portuguese has outscored Atletico all by himself.

    ISCO’S PERFECT HALF

    Isco has long been considered a passer and playmaker in the ilk of Xavi or Andres Iniesta, and in the first-half, the Spaniard showed exactly why he draws such comparisons.

    The Real Madrid midfielder completed every pass he attempted in the first period, finding a team-mate with each of his 42 passes.

    It took 62 minutes for Isco to finally misplace one, the only one of the 57 he attempted that went awry before he was substituted.

    ISCO WASN’T THE ONLY PERFECT ONE – SERGIO RAMOS TOO

    Given that Atletico Madrid are generally a more defensive side, and they were playing away from home, it would be one of their defenders who’d be expected to top the charts for tackles in this game.

    But in the first-half, they were outshone by Real Madrid’s captain.

    Not only did Sergio Ramos complete more tackles than anyone else, he did so with a 100% success rate.

    GRIEZMANN IS SHUT OUT

    Even allowing for the fact that Atletico were set up to play on the counter, Antoine Griezmann’s lack of involvement was astonishing.

    The French schemer only received the ball 13 times in the first-half and was unable to have any real impact without being able to get on the ball.

    Real Madrid completely nullified the player they would have considered Atletico’s biggest threat on the night.

    ATLETICO’S ATTACK NEVER GOT GOING

    By the hour mark, Atletico Madrid had failed to make any impact in the Real Madrid box.

    They would have expected to create a few chances, such is the quality of talent in their side, but Atletico’s attack was as invisible as its defence was porous on Tuesday.

    Real Madrid completely dominated their rivals, not allowing Atletico to complete a single pass in their penalty area for 60 minutes.

    REAL MADRID’S DEFENCE FINALLY SHOWS UP

    Through 10 games in the Champions League this season, Real Madrid failed to keep a single clean sheet, conceding even to the likes of Legia Warsaw (who scored three in a shock home draw against Madrid in the group stages).

    Thanks in part to Atletico’s toothless attack but also due to their own solidity, that unwanted streak has finally ended.

    A similar performance next week in the return leg will seal their spot in the Champions League final.

    RONALDO REIGNS SUPREME

    Ultimately, this match was all about one man.

    Cristiano Ronaldo had gotten a slightly dubious hat-trick in his previous Champions League outing, with two of his goals against Bayern Munich counting when they should have been ruled out for offside, but there was no doubt on Tuesday night.

    The Real Madrid star’s hat-trick has surely put this tie out of Atletico Madrid’s reach.

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