GRIEZMAN'S POACHER'S STRIKE KEEPS BARCA ON THE BRINK AT HALF TIME- GAME CAST

 

8:31pm

45 min

Carrasco breaks forward, the Belgium winger using his pace to stride past Dani Alves, cut inside and driving a low shot across goal. Ter Stegen gets down and parries it away for Mascherano to sweep up. 

8:29pm

44 min

Steve McManaman wants a quicker tempo for Barcelona to aid penetration of the Atletico defence. They do look laboured so far tonight but that's because Atletico are all over them. 

8:28pm

42 min

Neymar has a metre of space on the left about 35m out so tries to curl a shot towards the top right corner but although he gets the right trajectory, the power isn't there and Oblak plucks it out of the air nonchalantly. 

8:26pm

40 min

Saul gets out the party tricks again to send Jordi Alba skittering off after his shadow on the right but this time Busquets is back to help out his defence. 

8:22pm

GOAL!!

Atletico Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Griezmann) A blistering header by Griezmann from 12 yards when picked out expertly by Saul's wonderful cross with the outside of his left foot from the right. Mascherano and Pique were yards out of position and Ter Stegen had no chance.

8:21pm

35 min

Iniesta drives forward on a dribble when Pique wins possession in his own half, escaping the press. they need to break at pace and they do until Iniesta plays it to Neymar who  give sit to Messi and he has to turn away from goal. In the end Dani Alves ends up sticking a cross down  Oblak's throat. 

8:19pm

33 min

Godin plonks Iniesta on his Aris with a trademark Godin shove. Cholo Simeone isn't happy but it was a clear foul. Free-kick 25m out about 3m in from the left extremity of the box. Neymar and Messi shape up, the latter takes and spoons his shot wide and high. 

8:17pm

31 min

Watch this game from a spider cam and you'd see Atleti moving like they've been choreographed. It's formation movement of the most disciplined, drilled order. As soon as they lose the ball they all funnel backwards like ants under attack. 

8:15pm

28 min

The crowd and Atletico's players yell for a penalty when  Carrasco is tackled by Pique on the right of the box. The defender slips - and the surface is unsually slick tonight - and falls on top of the ball. Was it handball as he tried to break his fall? I think his forearm did brush the ball but no it wasn't a penalty. 

8:12pm

26 min

Barca corner when Suraez tacks out on a diagonal run to the left and is swarmed by Godin and Juanfran. He is happy to have the corner as his reward. Neymar takes it after a hiatus the referee spends warning the players against holding and shoving and swings it straight into Oblak's arms at the back stick. 

8:10pm

24 min

Atletico are suffocating Barcelona whenever they have the ball. Messi is forced back down the right to deal with Carrasco and wins the tackle. The two engage for 30 seconds back and forth until Messi is hustled over and wins a free-kick. 

8:09pm

22 min

More headway for Atletico up the left with Carrasco again troubling Jordi Alba. When he gets the ball back he turns to stick his backside into Mascherano and falls over when Neymar comes back to help out. He gives the referee a questioning look and inquires about a penalty but is told to get up. 

8:05pm

19 min

Neat triangle on the Barca left with Jordi Alba, Neymar and Iniesta. Jordi Alba's completion with they hypotenuse comes unstuck when Carrasco steals in to nick it away. Neymar bustles in front of him and is penalised for a foul that was more a charge and feat of strength than anything venal.  

8:03pm

16 min

Augusto Fernandez is enjoying himself in the familiar manner,, flying into a tackle off his feet and knocking his victim, Neymar, over. Barcelona free-kick. Godin also has a pop at Neymar a minute later following the free-kick when their momentum takes them off the pitch. Godin does not rely on gravity and pace alone to knock Neymar into the hoardings and gives him a shove in the small of the back. 

7:59pm

13 min

Dani Alves picks out Neymar's crossfield run behind the Atletico back four with a chip up the right but he cannot control his trap and he stumbles. Atleti clear and their fans jeer the tunbling Neymar. 

7:57pm

11 min

Barcelona are starting to have a sustained spell of possession, knocking it around. Atletico don't mind at all, tightly packing the centre of the pitch and forcing Barca wide where they eventually knock it out. 

7:55pm

9 min

Mascherano surprises Carrasco with his back to goal and in his own half when Gabi plays a tame pass up to him. Mascherano sneaks round the side, wins the ball then whacks a shot over as he falls. 

7:54pm

7 min

He may be the Spain left-back but Atletico are clearly targeting Jordi Alba, repeatedly knocking the ball up to him in the air and when Carrasco wins the flick on, the cross comes in from Filipe Luis for Griezmann to the left of the penalty spot but his usually measured control lets him down and he heads over.

7:51pm

5 min

Dani Alves opens his body as he takes the ball into the Atleti half to curl a pass around Gabi for MEss but Filipe Luis is quickly on to him and Atletico regain possession. It's like a Percy Edwards/Roger Whittaker concert in the Calderon tonight. 

7:49pm

3 min

Atletico are making progress up the right through Saul who turns Alba, plays it in for Juanfran who cuts back a cross to Gabi running into the area on the right. He has a clear sight of goal from 15 yards but spears a shot over the bar. That was a good chance. Atletico are hounding Barcelona all over their half. Snapping into the press. 

7:47pm

1 min

We're off and Barcelona, with the same starting XI that won the Champions league last season, are immediately under am aerial bombardment of sorts as Atleti move the ball swiftly back to Oblak who launches it up the right. Mascherano wins the header, it's hooked back towards the Barca goal and Alba nods it clear. Back it comes a third time and Koke is penalised for an aerial challenge. Every Barca touch is whistled and booed.

CREDIT: REX

  Credit: The Telegraph

Atlético Madrid Oblak, Juanfran, Godin, Lucas Hernandez, Filipe Luis, Fernandez, Gabi, Koke, Saul Niguez, Carrasco, Griezmann.

Subs Moya, Kranevitter, Savic, Correa, Gamez, Partey, Vietto.

Barcelona Ter Stegen, Dani Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta, Messi, Suarez, Neymar.
Subs Bravo, Douglas, Arda Turan, Bartra, Munir El Haddadi, Sergi Roberto, Adriano.

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)