Toress sends Atletico to Champions League Quarter Finals
Fernando Torres scored the decisive spot-kick as Atletico Madrid beat
Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday (March 17) to
reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The match finished 1-1 on aggregate after extra time, with the home side avenging its 1-0 defeat in Germany in the first leg of the last 16 contest with a 1-0 victory on the night.
Mario Suarez scored for last season's losing finalists in the 27th minute with a shot that was deflected by Leverkusen defender Omer Toprak.
Level at 2-2 before the final two penalties of the shootout, substitute Torres made no mistake from the spot but Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling sent the final kick over the bar.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone now among the eight coaches that qualify to quarter finals of the Uefa Champions League, he confirmed that it was a very difficult match for his club but he is so proud of his player zeal.
"Today was a very difficult match with a lot of added difficulties, and I'm proud a group of football players that always want more.
It's very difficult to train for penalty shootouts, with nothing behind, with only trees, because it's not real. The psychological things don't play, the emotional things... The fatigue exists after training but is not the same. I think here matters what do the penalty takes does and the goalkeeper. The calmness to decide well and be able to win." ~ Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone who led his boys to quarter finals believes his club is among the best eight teams in europe.
"We are again amongst the best eight teams, and this is wonderful for Atletico Madrid, and about the fans, fantastic. I hope everybody realises the importance of this in all the matches, because for us, all the games have the same importance. To win we need to play with the same intensity, emotion, passion... Because we are this: a team that does not always play well but always gives maximum effort." ~ ADiego Simeone
The match finished 1-1 on aggregate after extra time, with the home side avenging its 1-0 defeat in Germany in the first leg of the last 16 contest with a 1-0 victory on the night.
Mario Suarez scored for last season's losing finalists in the 27th minute with a shot that was deflected by Leverkusen defender Omer Toprak.
Level at 2-2 before the final two penalties of the shootout, substitute Torres made no mistake from the spot but Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling sent the final kick over the bar.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone now among the eight coaches that qualify to quarter finals of the Uefa Champions League, he confirmed that it was a very difficult match for his club but he is so proud of his player zeal.
"Today was a very difficult match with a lot of added difficulties, and I'm proud a group of football players that always want more.
It's very difficult to train for penalty shootouts, with nothing behind, with only trees, because it's not real. The psychological things don't play, the emotional things... The fatigue exists after training but is not the same. I think here matters what do the penalty takes does and the goalkeeper. The calmness to decide well and be able to win." ~ Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone who led his boys to quarter finals believes his club is among the best eight teams in europe.
"We are again amongst the best eight teams, and this is wonderful for Atletico Madrid, and about the fans, fantastic. I hope everybody realises the importance of this in all the matches, because for us, all the games have the same importance. To win we need to play with the same intensity, emotion, passion... Because we are this: a team that does not always play well but always gives maximum effort." ~ ADiego Simeone
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