Final, 4-1 Real Madrid: It’s all over. Real Madrid has won the European Cup for the 10th time in its illustrious history.
Read an analysis of Real Madrid’s victory over Atletico Madrid>>
Cue the wild celebrations at Lisbon’s Stadium of Light, Real Madrid’s Santigo Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles (where fans congregate after victories) and at millions of other points around the soccer world. For the first time in 12 years, Real Madrid is the king of European soccer.
The 4-1 scoreline in no way reflects the competitive nature of the game or Atletico Madrid’s hurculean effort. Ramos’ goal (see it here) snatched victory from the jaws of his team’s local rival and sent the game into extra time. Real Madrid had the better of play in the first period of extra time and simply turned it up a notch in the second.
Bale’s goal sealed the result, as Atletico Madrid lacked the energy to mount a comeback. Goals from Marcelo and Ronaldo merely padded the score. Real Madrid will revel in the twin Copa del Rey and Champions League triumphs, while Atletico Madrid must be content with its La Liga title and status as runner-up in Europe.
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That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
120th minute, 4-1 Real Madrid: There’s a fracas on the field. We’re not sure what happened, but Simeone is out there yelling at his players and at the referee.
Varane was having words with Gabi, which seemed to spark some pushing and shoving.
120th minute, 4-1 Real Madrid: Ronaldo buries the penalty kick and celebrates his goal in Lisbon.
Ronaldo adds to his record tally in this season’s Champions League. The penalty kick was his 17th Champions League goal in 2013-14.
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120th minute, 3-1 Real Madrid: Godin fouls Ronaldo in the area. The referee awards Real Madrid a penalty kick.
118th minute, 3-1 Real Madrid: Marcelo confirms Real Madrid’s victory.
The Brazilian fullback was uncontested as he dribbled 20 yards into the Atletico Madrid area and shot underneath Courtois.
Atletico Madrid simply ran out of gas.
Marcelo is cautioned for taking off his jersey in celebration.
114th minute, 2-1 Real Madrid: Atletico Madrid comes close to scoring after Casillas drops a cross in the penalty area. Tiago arrived first but he couldn’t put his shot on target.
110th minute, 2-1 Real Madrid: Gareth Bale has put Real Madrid in front.
Di Maria created the goal with a surging run down the left. Courtois charged off his line to block the Argentine’s shot, but the rebound popped into the air for Bale to head home at the far post.
Bale’s goal wasn’t as spectacular as the one he scored to win the Copa del Rey, but it was so much more important.
108th minute, 1-1: The quality of the game has plummeted due to the pressure and the bevy of tired bodies and minds out there.
Modric has the latest scoring opportunity. The Croatian stepped forward and shot, but it was deflected and went straight into Courtois’ waiting hands.
105th minute, 1-1: The first half of extra time has come to end with the score still even.
It’s not too late to cast your vote.
A couple of former England internationals give their thoughts on the current situation.
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100th minute, 1-1: Gabi fouls Marcelo from behind, and the referee cautions the Atletico Madrid captain.
97th minute, 1-1: Real Madrid has been the better team in the opening minutes of the first half of extra time.
Ronaldo has taken the only shot (he missed), but Modric and di Maria are asserting themselves in the midfield.
91st minute, 1-1: The first half of extra time is underway. Here’s a brief history of extra time in Champions League finals, courtesy of UEFA.com.
“Fifteen European Cup finals have gone to extra time. The finals of 1958, 1968, 1970 and 1992 were decided in the additional period, while the 1974 showpiece between Bayern and Club Atlético de Madrid ended 1-1 after 120 minutes with Bayern winning a replay. The other ten finals were settled by a penalty shoot-out after extra time: in 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2012 when Chelsea defeated Bayern 4-3 in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.”
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End of second half, 1-1: Extra time beckons after Ramos’ goal.
Ramos walks off to a hero’s embrace from his teammates. The Spanish defender’s dramatic goal extended the all-Madrid Champions League final by at least another 30 minutes.
Real Madrid had Atletico Madrid under pressure after the 90th minute and got its reward when Ramos struck. Its dream of winning “La Decima” is still alive, while Atletico Madrid must be wondering if they are still “los pusas” or “jinxed ones.”
90th minute +3, 1-1: Sergio Ramos ties the game with a dramatic goal in second-half stoppage time.
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Modric floated the corner kick into the area, and the unmarked Ramos headed it inside of Courtois’ far post. Ramos’ header was powerful and perfectly placed.
Ramos, a defender by trade, is red hot at the other end of the field.
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90th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: The game has passed the 90-minute mark. The fourth official indicates that there will be five minutes of stoppage time.
86th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Koke fouls Modric and becomes the seventh player cautioned in the game.
85th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Real Madrid has Atletico Madrid pinned deep in its area, but Atletico Madrid looks comfortable defending in numbers.
83rd minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Alderweireld replaces Luis, as Simeone makes his final change.
79th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Morata replaces Benzema with a little more than 10 minutes remaining. It’s Real Madrid’s thrid and final substitution.
Benzema was ineffective, as Miranda and Godin smothered him, and his Real Madrid teammates failed to provide service for 80 minutes.
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It could be Benzema’s last for Real Madrid, as he reportedly is one of Arsenal’s top targets in the summer 2014 transfer window.
78th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Bale fails to score from a good position for the third time.
Bale dribbled into the area after outracing Godin over 35 yards, but his left-footed shot went wide of Courtois’ goal.
74th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Juanfran is cautioned for a foul on di Maria.
73rd minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Bale shoots wide from 20 yards out. That’s the Welsh winger’s second missed opportunity of this game, and he has his head in his hands.
Modric and Ronaldo combined in the midfield to unlock Atletico Madrid’s defense and create the opening for Bale.
72nd minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Villa is cautioned for a foul on Casillas.
66th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Sosa is coming on for Garcia, who has a yellow card.
It’s a like-for-like replacement on the right side of Atletico Madrid’s midfield.
Meanwhile, Simeone is urging Ateltico Madrid fans to ratchet up the intensity.
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62nd minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Ronaldo leaps high at the far post but can’t connect his head to Ramos’ cross. It was another threatening moment from Real Madrid in the second half.
59th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Real Madrid makes a pair of substitutions. Isco and Marcelo are coming on for Khedira and Coentrao, respectively.
Khedira failed to adequately replace the suspended Alonso (no surprise there). The German midfielder was beaten by Godin on the goal and booked a few minutes later. Misplaced passes and mistimed tackles characterized the rest of his game.
Real Madrid signed Isco last summer with hopes that he would blossom into a future star. There’s no time like the present for the 22-year-old to show what he can do.
54th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Ronaldo tests Courtois with a powerful free kick on target, but the Belgian goalkeeper parries it over the crossbar.
53rd minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Miranda is cautioned for a foul on di Maria.
Di Maria was dribbling through the Atletico Madrid defense, and Miranda wrapped him up 30 yards away from the goal.
46th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: The second half is underway.
Halftime, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: The first half comes to end with Atletico Madrid in front.
As expected, the all-Madrid final has been tight, tense and nervy. The teams have struggled to create scoring opportunities from open play, as midfield pressure and tough tackles have stifled attacking talent.
Yet, Godin has put the upstarts Atletico Madrid ahead, and it will be difficult for Real Madrid to claw one back. Ronaldo and Benzema were subdued in the first half. They need to be be much better in the second.
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How Casillas responds to his calamitous error could determine the outcome of the game. If the Real Madrid captain demonstrates authority at the back and makes a fantastic save or two, it could inspire his teammates. If he retreats from the moment or concedes again, that coveted “decima” will elude Real Madrid for at least another year.
45th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Khedira is cautioned in the closing moments of the first half.
41st minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Adrian Lopez has an opportunity to double the lead but his header goes over the crossbar.
36th minute, 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Atletico Madrid takes the lead thanks to a header from Diego Godin.
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It came after a corner kick. Varane initially headed the corner out, but Juanfran headed the ball back into the Real Madrid area. Godin out-jumped Khedira and headed toward a goal that was only open because Casillas had left the goal line but didn’t manage to reach the ball.
Casillas, a Real Madrid icon, will rue the mistake. It looked like he slipped as he closed in on the ball.
Atletico Madrid’s aerial prowess has paid off once again.
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32nd minute, 0-0: Bale comes close to breaking the deadlock in the game’s first real scoring chance. The Welshman intercepted Tiago’s wayward pass in the midfield and bolted forward in the right channel before cutting inside. Bale managed to shoot through traffic from inside the box but couldn’t hit the target.
27th minute, 0-0: The referee cautions both Garcia and Ramos.
Garcia was booked for a cynical foul from behind on di Maria. An indignant Ramos raged at the referee (we’re not sure what for) and was booked for it.
20th minute, 0-0: The first 20 minutes have been tightly contested, and there is nothing between the teams at the moment.
Both are defending in numbers, applying pressure in the midfield and looking to hit their opponent on the counter-attack.
The strategies won’t produce an open game. Instead, it likely will take a moment of supreme quality, a set-piece or a mistake to breach either defense.
13th minute, 0-0: It took 13 minutes for one team to finally shoot. It was a woeful effort from Garcia, who tried to test Casillas from distance but put his shot well into the stands.
Ninth minute, 0-0: Costa was clearly struggling for the first eight minutes, and Adrian Lopez replaces him. Costa’s problematic hamstring injury prevents him from playing a major role in the final.
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It’s a blow to Atletico Madrid but not an unexpected one. Simeone has faith in Lopez.
The Spanish forward set up Atletico Madrid’s decisive goal in the quarterfinals against Barcelona and scored a huge goal in the semifinal against Chelsea.
Fifth minute, 0-0: It has been a tense opening, as the teams look to establish their physical authority and a rhythm to their passing. Neither has happened yet.
Miranda and Varane committed tough fouls early on, but the defenders escaped the referee’s book.
First minute, 0-0: The 2014 Champions League final is under way.
Kickoff: Fans are enjoying themselves during an elaborate opening ceremony.
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But this is only the warm-up to the real show. The teams are coming onto the field, and kickoff is only a few minutes away.
Pregame: The lineups are in, and a few managers’ decisions will raise eyebrows around the soccer world.
Costa starts for Ateltico Madrid. The Brazil-born Spanish international received radical horse-placenta treatment on his balky hamstring this week. It worked, as Simeone has deemed Costa healthy enough to start. It’s a huge gamble.
Turan is an injury casualty. The hip problem that he’s battling keeps him out of the squad altogether.
The rest of Atletico Madrid’s squad is familiarly settled. Simeone’s group should be confident given its performances in this elite competition over the course of this season.
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Real Madrid has its powerful attacking triumvirate of Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema in the starting 11.
However, question marks lay behind them. The biggest is the presence of Khedira, who tore his ACL in November and has only seen 120 minutes of action since returning to the field on May 11. The German midfielder must fill the considerable hole Alonso’s absence creates in Real Madrid’s engine room.
Meanwhile, Pepe is only fit enough to take a spot on the bench. Varane takes his place in the center of Real Madrid’s defense next to Ramos. Varane, 21, is immensely talented but has started only one Champions League game in 2014. Fullbacks Coentrao and Carvajal might curb their attacking enthusiasm so as not to leave Varane exposed at the back.
1:45 p.m.: Here are the lineups:
Atletico Madrid
Thibaut Courtois (13), goalkeeper
Juanfran (20), right back
Diego Godin (2), center back
Miranda (23), center back
Filipe Luis (3), left back
Gabi (14), midfielder
Tiago (5), midfielder
Raul Garcia (8), midfielder
Koke (6), midfielder
David Villa (9), striker
Diego Costa (19), striker
Substitutes
Daniel Aranzubia (1), goalkeeper
Toby Alderweireld (12), defender
Mario Suarez (4), midfielder
Cristian Rodriguez (11), midfielder
Jose Sosa (24), midfielder
Diego (26), forward
Adrian Lopez (7), forward
Real Madrid
Iker Casillas (1), goalkeeper
Fabio Coentrao (5), left back
Raphael Varane (2), center back
Sergio Ramos (4), center back
Daniel Carvajal (15), right back
Sami Khedira (6), midfielder
Luka Modric (19), midfielder
Angel di Maria (22), midfielder
Gareth Bale (11), forward
Cristiano Ronaldo (7), forward
Karim Benzema (9), striker
Substitutes
Diego Lopez (25), goalkeeper
Pepe (3), center back
Marcelo (12), defender
Alvaro Arbeloa (17), defender
Asier Illarramendi (24), midfielder
Isco (23), midfielder
Alvaro Morata (21), striker
12:45 p.m. ET: It all comes down to this. Atletico Madrid faces Real Madrid for the right to call itself the champion of Europe.
Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz is the site of the 2014 UEFA Champions League final where Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, the two biggest clubs from Spain’s capital city, meet for the 195th time in their history. Never have the stakes been as high as they are now.
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Atletico Madrid is in the final for the first time in 40 years. It looks to complete its impossible dream of a season by adding the European Cup to the 2013-14 La Liga (Spanish first division) trophy it claimed seven days ago.
Atletico Madrid was calm in the build-up to the game, but don’t be fooled. Head coach Diego Simeone’s team is hungry and determined to show what it can do in club soccer’s biggest stage. Simeone might be without star striker Diego Costa (hamstring injury) and wing wizard Arda Turan (pelvic injury). Both are gametime decisions. Simeone often reminds fans that the team is star in his system. The Champions League final puts his theory to the ultimate test.
Real Madrid could lift the European Cup for the 10th time in its history and end 12 years of pain by beating its local rival in Lisbon. All the pressure is on head coach Carlo Ancelotti and his team, as winning the Champions League is an admitted obsession for everyone connected with the club. Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) in April, but the Champions League is the only prize that can make 2013-14 a success for the Spanish soccer giant.
Ancelotti’s team also won’t be at full strength. Midfield general Xabi Alonso will miss the final due to suspension. Defender Pepe and striker Karim Benzema are nursing ailments. Thankfully, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring problem and is expected to start. Real Madrid will need Ronaldo and his supporting cast to handle the tension that comes with such a massive occasion.
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Saturday’s game marks the first time two teams from the same city will contest the Champions League final and only the fifth time two teams from the same country have met at this stage of the competition.
The game kicks off at 2:45 p.m. Stay right here, as we’ll bring you all the action from Lisbon’s “Stadium of Light.”
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