Atletico Madrid 1-0 Leicester
Griezmann 28, pen
A bad decision from referee Jonas Erikkson cost Leicester a defeat against ten-time La Liga winners, Atletico Madrid, in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Atletico started well and were trying from distance on numerous occasions. The best effort was Koke’s shot from outside the box which thundered off the bar.
Leicester were looking vulnerable, so when Simpson went up for a corner and challenged for the ball outside the penalty box, and lost out to Griezmann, you knew something special was going to happen. Griezmann carried the ball up the pitch and was speeding through the Leicester defence.
Then, in his best attempts to stop him, Albrighton unintentionally nudged the French forward to the floor. The ref’s eyesight was slightly obscured because Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater was in front of him, but he gave the penalty anyway.
However, replays showed that Albrighton’s foul on Griezmann took place outside the box and that Leicester were hard done by with the decision.
After all the protests, Griezmann coolly slotted his penalty away to put Atletico Madrid in front – and scored what turned out to be the winner in the first leg.
Vardy was an isolated figure upfront and it was hard for him, playing against one of the best defences in the world. His only real chance came at the start of the game when Leicester played a hopeful ball upfield which Vardy got on the end of, but he couldn’t find the onrushing Mahrez in the box. The Englishman got replaced in the 77th minute on a frustrating night.
Leicester defended well and kept Atletico quiet in the second half, and the Spanish side’s only big chance was when Torres found space for himself inside the box – but he slipped at the vital moment, and the ball went flying out for a throw-in.
Overall, I think Leicester did well against such a good team, but it would’ve been easier for the next leg if they had got an away goal here.