Atletico Madrid took a major step towards the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over German champions Bayern Munich at the Vicente Calderon.
The draw for the group stage brought together two heavyweights of European football and they did not disappoint in a pulsating contest.
Atletico ended Bayern’s dreams of a sixth European Cup title at the semi-final stage of last season’s competition and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco’s first-half strike set the Spanish side on course for a repeat of their victory on home soil in April.
Atlético’s Yannick Carrasco celebrates scoring the opening goal. Photograph: Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP
Bayern had reeled off 11 successive wins in all competitions since that aggregate defeat but they could not force an equaliser as Atletico saw the game out despite Antoine Griezmann‘s late penalty miss.
Fernando Torres had an early sight of goal after dispossessing Javi Martinez but the Bayern defender recovered well to prevent the Spaniard from getting a shot away.
Thomas Muller tested Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak with a well-struck volley from Thiago’s lofted ball into the box, while at the other end Carrasco’s fierce drive was kept out low down by Manuel Neuer.
Torres passed up a glorious opportunity to open the scoring when, unmarked, he somehow headed against a post after Koke’s corner was inadvertently flicked on by Robert Lewandowski to the back post.
Lewandowski headed straight at Oblak from Philipp Lahm’s cross and Torres could only hit the side-netting from an acute angle as the sides continued to trade chances in an end-to-end first half.
The Belgium international was allowed to run into space by a clever Griezmann pass and he reached the edge of the box before firing a left-footed strike across Neuer and in off his left-hand post.
Franck Ribery dragged a good chance wide as Bayern sought an immediate response while Muller headed off target from a corner just after the break.
The hosts rarely threatened in the early stages of the second period but midway through the half Carrasco tested Neuer with a curling 25-yard effort.
Bayern were doing most of the running without posing much of a threat and they were almost caught on the break when Griezmann looped a header onto the roof of the net from Torres’ ball in.
The visitors upped the pace as full-time loomed, with Lewandowski heading wide and Arjen Robben sending a shot just wide after a one-two with Arturo Vidal.
Griezmann was presented with the perfect opportunity to wrap up the win from the penalty spot six minutes from time after Vidal’s rash challenge on Luis but his spot-kick hit the bar with Neuer rooted to the spot.
The France international’s miss mattered little in the end as Atletico comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to make it two wins from two in Group D.