UEFA League: Atletico edge Leverkusen via penalties


Atletico Madrid reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League after beating Bayer Leverkusen on penalties.

Following a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Germany, Atletico levelled the tie in the 27th minute when Mario Suarez’s strike deflected in off Omer Toprak.

Garcia went closest to a winner for Atletico in extra time but Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno beat his shot away.

Hakan Calhanoglu, Toprak and Stefan Kiessling all missed for Leverkusen as Atletico won 3-2 in the shootout.

Substitute keeper Jan Oblak was an unlikely hero for Atletico, last year’s beaten finalists, after replacing Miguel Angel Moya, who limped off with a hamstring injury midway through the first half.

Oblak has failed to become Atletico’s first choice since his £12.6m move from Benfica as a replacement for Thibaut Courtois, who returned to Chelsea after three years on loan.

But the 22-year-old Slovenian saved Calhanoglu’s penalty after Raul Garcia had missed the hosts’ first kick.

Atletico’s Koke also had a spot-kick saved after Toprak missed before Kiessling blasted the 10th and final kick high over the bar, sending the Spaniards into Friday’s quarter-finals draw along with the already-qualified Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain, Porto and Monaco.

It was a cruel finish for Leverkusen, who were hoping to reach the last eight for the first time since since reaching the final in 2002, reports the BBC.

UEFA LEAGUE RESULTS

Atletico Madrid 1 – 0 Bayer Leverkusen (agg 1 – 1)

* Atlético Madrid win 3-2 on penalties

Monaco 0 – 2 Arsenal (agg 3 – 3)

* Monaco win the tie on away goals

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