Even after scoring hat-tricks against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and Atletico last week, Real's all-time top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo said "all he wanted" from the home fans was not to be jeered. Messi was at one point the clear-cut favourite to earn that honour, but Ronaldo's heroics of late make him the frontrunner once more.
Lionel Messi having an global ban overturned by FIFA is evidence of an imbalanced playing field in football, says Chile star Arturo Vidal. And if they have one of those off-nights, and Atletico do everything perfectly...you just never know.
With 20 minutes left the game was still scoreless and Eibar were holding up well defensively. Cue raucous celebrations from the home side, with Godin jumping into Simeone's arms on the sideline.
- Griezmann has scored or assisted 50 per cent of Atletico's goals in the Champions League since last season (12 goals and three assists). He could face further punishment for telling the officials, "You are very bad", according to the official match report. Atletico's Fernando Torres was booked after the game was over for protesting too much to referee David Fernandez Borbalan.
With Real feeling fresher and their confidence soaring as they remain on track to win the domestic title, all signs point to the 11-times European champions piling more misery on their neighbours who they beat in the 2014 and 2016 finals.
Atletico's 51-year-old stadium will close in the summer when Diego Simeone's side moves to their new 67,000 capacity Wanda Metropolitano stadium in the north of the Spanish capital.
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It clearly means an terrible lot to Atletico. But we're going to keep faith with how we do things, which is to try to win. The first leg was also the only time they have kept a clean sheet in this season's competition.
He said: "We have already chosen his replacement but we won't communicate our decision right now out of respect for Luis Enrique".
Real, despite being top of La Liga and through to the Champions League semi-final after losing just four games all season, don't always play well. "We have to give everything we have for them". Real should take all three points.
Real are aiming to become the first side to win back-to-back Champions League titles after also defeating Atletico on penalties in last year's final in Milan.
Sporting's first win in eight rounds lifted it to within three points of Leganes, which hosts Real Betis on Monday.
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