Scott Murray's Blog, page 162

The Fiver | No point making a fuss

In today’s Fiver: Manchester City, taxpayers’ money, and hyperhidrosis

In scenes reminiscent of the time Arthur Pewty told the marriage guidance councillor to stop messing around with his wife, Manchester City marched purposefully into the Bernabéu on Wednesday night, were told to go away, and complied with a cheery right-o. They left the place exactly as they found it. No point making a fuss. Not least because there’s always next year. “We go again!” is the brave battle cry of City keeper Joe Hart, reading aloud from the Big Book of Stirring Soccer Oratory, published in April 2014 and authored by one $ Mbe. Joe should probably put the book down.

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Football transfer rumours: Chelsea to splash £79m on Antoine Griezmann?

Today’s gossip has been at the Kool-Aid, and would like to congratulate Real Madrid for their 3.35-0.41 expected goals victory over Manchester City

Chances are Manchester United will win the FA Cup. They might scrape fourth place and a spot in next season’s Champions League. And deadpan comic Louis van Gaal has had them rolling in the aisles with some cracking observational material about sex, the poor man’s Amy Schumer right on top of his game. Everything’s going swimmingly at Old Trafford right now, which may explain why the club have asked José Mourinho to hang around like a spare part for 12 months while Van Gaal sees out his contract. Mourinho, needless to say, wants the job now. There’ll be tears, and more leaks, before bedtime.

Related: What will Hollywood make of Leicester’s spellbinding season? | Marina Hyde

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Real Madrid 1-0 Manchester City (agg 1-0): Champions League semi-final – as it happened

City never quite did enough to trouble Real at the Bernabéu, as the hosts reached their 14th European Cup final.

8.17am BST

Related: Manuel Pellegrini admits Manchester City missed their chance at Real Madrid

8.17am BST

Related: Madrid given another derby day as Real match Atlético in Champions League | Sid Lowe

8.17am BST

Related: Vincent Kompany injury again highlights Manchester City’s damning weakness | Jamie Jackson

9.39pm BST

But it matters not! City can’t get back upfield again, and the referee blows his whistle! Real Madrid have made their 14th European Cup final! They’ll face their city rivals Atletico in Milan later this month, a repeat of the 2014 final. You can’t say they didn’t deserve it tonight: they carried the greater attacking threat, and on another day would have scored a couple more. City by comparison didn’t get a single effort on target. On the other hand, it took a deflected goal to beat them, they hung in there, refusing to buckle under pressure, and Sergio Aguero very nearly silenced the Bernabeu with a stunning effort during the game’s last knockings. But on the whole City didn’t do enough. Ah well, they’re making incremental progress, and there’s always next year. A good night for Pep Guardiola, if nothing else.

Related: Manchester City suffer as Fernando own goal hands semi-final to Real Madrid

9.38pm BST

90 min +5: A ball looped forward into the City box. James is free! But with only Hart to beat, he falls backwards and can’t connect with the ball. City escape!

9.37pm BST

90 min +4: Sterling tries to send Iheanacho into space down the right, but the young striker is crowded out. Real go back upfield and stroke it around awhile.

9.36pm BST

90 min +3: Otamendi is booked for a high boot on Ronaldo. The clock keeps ticking.

9.35pm BST

90 min +2: The assistant ref holds up four minutes. The first two are spent rubbing Keylor Navas’s leg; he’s down having picked up an injury while making that clearance. There will be more than four extra minutes, I’ll be bound.

9.34pm BST

90 min: Aguero has been quiet tonight, but suddenly he’s come alive. Perhaps too late. He chases a long ball down the left. Pepe misreads the bounce on the edge of the box, forcing his keeper to come out and batter the ball into the stand.

9.33pm BST

89 min: The Bernabeu falls silent for a couple of seconds as Aguero, in a little space down the inside-left channel, lashes a screaming dipper up and down towards the top right. He’s got Keylor Navas beaten, but the ball whistles inches over the bar and onto the top netting. The City fans celebrate, before swallowing their cheers. Real fans are too shocked to respond. For a moment, an eerie quiet descended on the Bernabeu. City so close to a spectacular goal, so close to the final!

9.31pm BST

88 min: Modric is replaced by Kovacic. He takes a full minute to get off the pitch, professional time management at its very best.

9.29pm BST

86 min: Bale is blocked fairly obviously by Otamendi as he bombs down the left. The referee, perhaps wondering whether he should even the decisions up a little bit, doesn’t give the free kick. The home fans, plus Zinedine Zidane on the touchline, aren’t best impressed.

9.28pm BST

84 min: De Bruyne takes the free kick. It’s practically a corner, so why he tries to catch Keylor Navas out at his near post is anyone’s guess. His effort to curl it directly into the bottom left would have been parried clear had it been on target, which it wasn’t, the side netting rippling harmlessly. A waste of a good chance. Real should be down to ten for the remainder, mind.

9.26pm BST

83 min: Sterling dribbles along an intricate route down the left. Near the corner flag, Lucas Vazquez slides in and upends his man. Yellow, but that should have been a straight red card: the Real man was out of control and planted his studs on Sterling’s shin. A potential leg-breaker. Thankfully Sterling will be OK.

9.25pm BST

82 min: It’s Sterling versus Carvajal again. This time he earns a yard, and has a chance to loop a cross into the centre. But there’s nobody other than Iheanacho in the middle. Real are sitting back, inviting pressure, but City haven’t responded to the come-on yet. They need to start throwing men forward.

9.23pm BST

80 min: Another skitter for Sterling down the left. For a second it looks as though he’s got the legs to beat Carvajal, but heads down a blind alley and the chance to cross is gone.

9.22pm BST

77 min: Lucas Vazquez dances down the right. His shot isn’t up to much. Meanwhile Fernandinho slides in on Kroos, who doesn’t like the challenge. The pair rub eyebrows in the muscular style. The referee gives both of them a bollocking, nothing more. Given that he’d initially misidentified Fernandinho for De Bruyne, he probably wasn’t arguing from a position of absolute authority.

9.19pm BST

76 min: Aguero bursts down the inside-left channel and looks to have been checked by Ramos, but he’s not getting the free kick. City are beginning to edge forward a little bit. Real have had all the chances, but this is still on a knife-edge.

9.18pm BST

75 min: Quite a few whistles ping around the Bernabeu as City stroke it around the middle while Real sit deep, making sure to keep a hold of what they’ve got. It looks like they might have started to think about how close they are to the final, which would be good news for City. The away fans singing Blue Moon again. Nerves pinging around the famous old stadium.

9.16pm BST

73 min: A lull, which serves Real quite well. The clock is not City’s friend.

9.14pm BST

71 min: Fernando is booked for a fairly cynical shove in Modric’s back, as the Real playmaker dribbles through the centre circle. He doesn’t bother arguing the toss.

9.13pm BST

70 min: A little space for Sterling out on the left. He dribbles with pace and purpose towards the Real box, before fizzing low into the middle, where Aguero waits to shoot. Ramos slides in to put a stop to City’s plans. But that is a little better from City, who still just need the one goal. Might all those missed chances start playing on Madrid minds?

9.12pm BST

69 min: The thoroughly ineffectual Jesus Navas is replaced by the excellent Kelechi Iheanacho. Here’s Kevin Wilson: “Film nerd comment (but slightly football related), but Silvana Mangano was married to Dino Di Laurentiis, film producer and uncle of the former Napoli chairman. You could do worse than watch Pasolini’s Teorema, where she plays the mother of a bourgeois family whose existence is unsettled by Terence Stamp’s Angel/Devil drifter.”

9.10pm BST

67 min: Real make their second chance of the evening, swapping Isco for the 2014 World Cup golden-boot winner James Rodriguez.

9.10pm BST

66 min: How are City still in this? But they’re still in it!

9.09pm BST

64 min: The corner’s whipped into the box. Bale rises, 12 yards out, and plants a header towards the top right. He’s so unlucky: the header twangs off the underside of the bar and out! Lucas Vazquez tries to keep the move alive by chipping back into the centre from the right. Ronaldo is free, six yards out, and catches the ball with both hands before spiking it down and over the line! It’s the height of absurdity, but he’s not booked for his cheek because he was miles offside anyway. A cheeky wink to the referee, and we move on.

9.07pm BST

63 min: Ronaldo picks up a loose ball, 25 yards from goal. He drops a shoulder to move to the right of the D. His shot takes a walloping deflection off Clichy, looping over a stranded Hart and just wide left of the unguarded goal. Corner. From which...

9.05pm BST

61 min: Yaya Toure, who has been invisible tonight, is replaced by Raheem Sterling. He’s got a habit of showing in big games, has Sterling: City need him to do that again tonight.

9.03pm BST

59 min: Lucas Vazquez slides a ball down City’s always-wide-open inside-right channel. Ronaldo opens his legs and, from the edge of the box, slaps a low and hard effort towards the bottom right. Hart smothers brilliantly. City are under all sorts of pressure here. Their best bet? Hang on, hang on, hang on, and hope Real begin to get nervous as they get ever closer towards the final with just a one-goal lead to hang onto.

9.01pm BST

58 min: Ronaldo slips into Stepover Mode again. He tears down the right and zips a low ball into the centre towards Bale, but Otamendi is on hand to hook clear.

9.00pm BST

56 min: Lucas Vasquez comes on for Jese. “Am I the only person who found that Silvana Mangano clip deeply weird?” wonders Marie Meyer. “Makes me wonder how future generations will view Single Ladies.”

8.58pm BST

55 min: City’s defence has, to a man, fallen asleep. Carvajal races after a long ball down the right. He loops a cross into the centre for Ronaldo. It’s a bit high, but Ronaldo still gets his head on it, sending the ball straight at Hart. City are very much second best at the moment, but they’re still just the one goal behind. And it only takes a minute.

8.56pm BST

53 min: How on earth are Real not two goals up? Bale drops deep down the right before chipping a delicious reverse pass down the channel to release Modric into the box. He’s one on one with Hart! He has to score, but allows an over-elaborate dink towards the top right to be smothered by the star-jumping keeper. What a miss! What a save! What a non-event the resulting corner turns out to be!

8.55pm BST

51 min: Half-chances at either end. First De Bruyne, just inside the Real box, takes an airshot at a ball sent down the right by Sagna. Then Jese powers down the right, tearing past Mangala, only to blooter miles over the bar when he reaches the edge of the City area.

8.53pm BST

50 min: Bale, deep on the right wing, launches a long, drooping, diagonal pass towards Ronaldo, who has broken clear down the middle. He connects with a volley on the left-hand edge of the City D, but not particularly well, and the ball harmlessly bobbles through to Hart. A better connection, though, and City were in a lot of spectacular trouble.

8.52pm BST

48 min: Real have come out with a view to putting this tie to bed quickly. Jese skips past Otamendi down the left and romps into a lot of space. His low cross is easily gathered by Hart at his near post. Jese should have done a lot better.

8.50pm BST

46 min: Hoo, City so nearly concede within 30 seconds of the restart. Kroos rakes a glorious diagonal pass to release Carvajal on the right. He hits a low, first-time ball into the six-yard box. Otamendi slides in to block, with Ronaldo waiting to sidefoot home in the simple style. As it turns out, the flag goes up for offside - both Carvajal and Ronaldo were ahead of the City back line - but that was close. The visitors have been woozy all night; they need to snap out of it quickly.

8.48pm BST

So this is where we are: City were second best in the first half, doing quite a lot of wandering about, and yet they’re far from out of this. They just need a goal. They’ll go through on the away goals rule if this ends a score draw. But another Real goal will surely bury them. Just to clarify the Bale/Fernando goal/own goal situation: Bale certainly looked up as if to cross, and his hard cross-cum-shot took a deflection off the sliding defender to whip along an absurdly oscillating arc across the goal and into the top left. Fine margins, though. Does that clarify it? Hmm. Anyway, Real get the ball rolling for the second half.

8.37pm BST

Half-time entertainment: For those who enjoy a bit of history, here’s footage of Manchester City’s not-quite-epochal defeat by Fenerbahçe in 1968. It’s soundtracked to a version of El Negro Zumbón, which is a nice melodic touch.

8.34pm BST

A couple of added minutes and time for one last corner. It’s Real’s, out on the right. Ramos tries to get a head on it, but can’t, not quite. And that’s that for the first half. The goal that separates the sides has been taken off Bale by Uefa and credited to poor Fernando; turns out that deflection might not have been quite so slight after all. But this is mere admin: City have to find a second-half goal if they’re to keep their hopes of reaching a first Champions League final alive. It’ll be tense. No flipping!

8.30pm BST

44 min: De Bruyne turns down the middle of the park and slips a pass down the inside-left channel for Fernandinho, who cuts in from the flank and lashes a low shot inches wide of the left-hand post from the edge of the box. That’s the nearest City have come, and their best move too. Simple but highly effective.

8.28pm BST

43 min: Bale drops a shoulder to earn himself a little pocket to the left of the City D. He has a shot but a fairly lame effort bumps harmlessly towards Hart.

8.27pm BST

42 min: Clichy goes on a baroque scamper down the left, and for a second looks like working a bit of space in the Real box. But he seems to lose heart and confidence mid-run, and checks back. The momentum is lost.

8.27pm BST

41 min: It’s not as though City aren’t doing their damndest to get back into this game. They earn themselves another corner, this time out on the left, but De Bruyne loops a fairly harmless set piece up, down and into the grateful arms of Keylor Navas.

8.26pm BST

40 min: And there’s more space for Marcelo down the left, sent clear into the City box but stopped in full flight by the flag of the linesman. An incorrect offside decision that dug City out of a hole.

8.25pm BST

38 min: City are living dangerously. Modric sprays a glorious pass down the left to release Marcelo, who flashes a high ball across the face of goal. Fortunately for City, there’s nobody in white to knock the ball past a flapping Hart.

8.23pm BST

36 min: Kroos whips the free kick to the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Pepe tries to meet the dropping ball with a volley, but can’t connect. No matter, for Ramos is on hand to tuck the loose ball underneath Hart and into the net. But it won’t count! There were four Real players offside when the free kick was sent in; Pepe and Ramos were two of them. City breathe again.

8.21pm BST

35 min: Bale very nearly bursts into an awful lot of space down the right, but opts for a pass inside towards Jese instead. His rangefinder is wonky. In the resulting breakdown, Kroos is shouldercharged in the chest, in a fairly industrial fashion, by Fernandinho, who is lucky to avoid a booking. A free kick, 35 yards out on the right. From which...

8.19pm BST

33 min: A low ball into the Real box from the right nearly finds Aguero on the edge of the six-yard box, but Carvajal slides in to deflect the ball past the right-hand post. A corner, which leads to a light game of head tennis, one ended by Keylor Navas charging off his line and claiming possession.

8.17pm BST

32 min: Aguero looks to pass Ramos down the middle. He’s stopped by the defender hanging out an arm and catching his eye. The referee deems it accidental. “When you said in the preamble that Yaya Toure would be ‘refreshed’, did you mean ‘half-drunk’?” wonders Adam Hirst. “His aimless slow wanderings around the centre circle at half the pace of the match seem to indicate that.”

8.16pm BST

30 min: De Bruyne is booked for a fairly average clip on the back of Marcelo’s heel, as the pair compete down the City right. I suppose by the letter of the law that’s a correct decision, but it seems pretty unnecessary: it was a clumsy forward’s challenge, no more, no less.

8.14pm BST

28 min: Real pass time with some more of that gentle midfield possession. Pass, pass, passity, pass. City can’t get a sniff of the ball at the moment. Here’s Shaun Wilkinson: “I feel like a terrible human being for even asking this, as he has been such a fantastic defender and seems like a great bloke, but at what point do City say enough is enough with Kompany? Much as I would love to be wrong, this pattern of missing a large amount of games, then playing a couple before getting hurt again seems to be pretty established now.”

8.12pm BST

26 min: Ronaldo goes into stepover mode down the left, and purchases one free kick off Sagna. He takes the set piece, near the corner flag, himself. Hart punches clear with Ramos lurking in an offside position.

8.11pm BST

24 min: De Bruyne makes a little ground down the right but isn’t able to bother Navas in the Real goal. City clearly aren’t of a mind to die wondering; they’ve looked more dangerous since going behind.

8.10pm BST

23 min: City need a goal now, but they can’t afford to go too gung-ho. Marcelo and Isco combine down the left to set up Ronaldo, whose first-time shot from the edge of the area is high and wide.

8.08pm BST

21 min: City try to respond immediately, Navas earning a corner down the right. From the set piece, Fernando rises 12 yards out and thumps a header over the bar. That was quite a chance to equalise - and effectively take the lead in the tie - immediately.

8.07pm BST

When the goal came, it was so simple. Carvajal is given plenty of time down the right. Too much time: Clichy doesn’t close his man down. Carvajal slides one forward to release Bale into the box. Bale takes a look across: he’s got three men in the middle. But instead he belts a high ball across Hart from a tight angle. It rises and curls and dips and lashes into the top left! Did he mean that? It’s genius if he did. But perhaps he didn’t. And there might be a little deflection from Fernando, sliding in to block. Either way, it’s the very definition of a cross-cum-shot.

8.04pm BST

18 min: Modric finds a pocket of space in the middle, 25 yards from goal. He thinks about shooting towards the top left, then the top right. As he shapes to curl one goalwards, a combination of Fernando and Fernandinho nip at his heels. He goes down looking for a free kick, but he’s not getting one. It was fair hassle. The ball nearly squirts through the middle for Ronaldo, anyway, but there’s too much pace on it and it flies through to Hart.

8.02pm BST

17 min: City can’t get hold of the ball at all. Real are content to stroke it around in the midfield. For now.

8.01pm BST

15 min: Bale slips Carvajal into space down the right, but the full back’s cross is wayward. City mop up. They look a little shaken in the wake of Kompany’s injury, struggling to keep hold of the ball. They’ll need to settle quickly, because Real appear to be in the mood to apply some pressure.

8.00pm BST

13 min: Bale tries to break free down the inside-left channel, but Fernando stands up well and blocks the path. But Real are beginning to work up a head of steam, and Carvajal, from deep on the right, curls one onto Ronaldo’s head, ten yards out. Ronaldo climbs above Otamendi but heads high and wide right. A decent chance for someone so good in the air.

7.57pm BST

12 min: That early injury setback for City has ruined the early rhythm. Real pass it around the back awhile, warming themselves up again.

7.56pm BST

10 min: Kompany limps off, his race already run. It’s difficult to watch as he reluctantly offloads his armband; the big man’s had no luck with injury. Mangala comes on in his place.

7.54pm BST

8 min: Very worrying signs for City here, as Kompany goes down after playing a simple pass in the midfield. He clutches the top of his left leg, and grimaces quite a lot before going down.

7.52pm BST

7 min: Navas is seeing a fair bit of the ball out on the right. He strides inside and feeds Aguero on the edge of the D. Aguero tries to shift his feet to make room for a shot, but can’t engineer the space. The ball’s rolled left to De Bruyne, who tries to return it to Aguero with a low cross. It’s blocked at source by Carvajal.

7.51pm BST

5 min: Isco and Jese combine down the left to earn the first corner of the match. It’s looped into the City mixer, and after a brief bout of head tennis, Pepe sends a harmless header high into the air, allowing Hart to claim. It’s been a bright start to a tense occasion.

7.49pm BST

3 min: Carvajal jigs down the right, cuts inside, and tries to find Jese on the edge of the box with a sliderule pass. It’s a dainty ball, but the Real forward made his run too soon, and realising he’s miles offside, doesn’t bother chasing. City go upfield, though Navas down the right. He skips past Isco and whips a fine high cross along the corridor of uncertainty, but there’s no City shirt in the middle. Nevertheless, Navas comes off his line and flaps the ball away in a slightly nervous fashion. Very strange, though it leads to nothing.

7.47pm BST

2 min: Ramos, from a deep position on the left, tries to set Jese free down the right. Nope! That’ll be a goal kick. City go up the other end and immediately have three men flagged offside. Everyone finding their feet.

7.45pm BST

City get the ball rolling. The travelling City support really are giving it their all: the Bernabeu is huge, and teeming with Madridistas, but you can still hear Blue Moon being sung at considerable volume. “I’m wondering who Atletico fans will be rooting for tonight?” wonders Simon McMahon, a supporter of 1984 semi-finalists Dundee United. “No doubt a fair few will be itching to be given the chance of revenge against Real, but then that also brings with it the possibility of losing a Champions League final to them for the second time in three years. Losing to your city rivals in a match of such importance is not much fun. Take it from me.”

7.42pm BST

The teams are out! Real Madrid are in their famous meringue-white shirts, while Manchester City will play in third-choice neon green. It’s hardly news to report that there’s a crackling atmosphere at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu for this European Cup semi-final. The home side are looking for their 11th title in this competition, while City are still seeking their first. But of course there’s always a first time for everything, as Leicester City can attest. Marina Hyde is already looking forward to the film of the fairytale. But we digress. This is on! We’ll be off in a minute!

7.33pm BST

Manuel Pellegrini speaks! “It is important to realise that it is not easy to get to a semi-final. First you must be in the top four in your league, which is not easy in England. Then it is very difficult to continue after the group stage, the round of 16, the quarter final. So we must play, and fight for every ball to win the game and take our chance to reach the final. Our best opportunity is to play well in defence. Madrid are very dangerous and always look to attack. When we have the ball, we must not lose it. We will see if Yaya Toure is able to complete 90 minutes, but his experience in this game is very important.”

7.17pm BST

Whatever the outcome tonight, here’s a reminder to enjoy every second while it lasts. Reaching the pinnacle of Europe is no guarantee that the good times will last forever. Next season, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa will become the first pair of former European champions to face off in second-tier domestic competition. The Knowledge has today been looking into this sorry state of affairs, in a must-read article that also features an advert for 1970s UK milk concern Unigate Dairies starring Muhammad Ali.

Related: Have two European Cup winners played each other in the second tier? | The Knowledge

7.05pm BST

Just a reminder of the result from the first leg: Manchester City 0.576734 - 0.972312 Real Madrid. That’s according to the Expected Goals model. For those of you who haven’t been experimenting with Kool-Aid or freebasing snake oil, it was 0-0. Another goalless draw is the only scoreline that’d take us into extra time and possible penalty kicks tonight, away goals and all that.

6.55pm BST

The big news for Real Madrid? You know the big news for Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo is back! He’s one of three changes to the XI that started in Manchester last week: Isco and Jese are the others who make the step up. Lucas Vazquez drops to the bench, while Casemiro and Karim Benzema are injured.

City meanwhile name the same XI who began the first leg, with one exception. The hamstrung David Silva is replaced by a refreshed Yaya Toure. For the record, there are eight changes to the team sent out for the fiasco at Southampton at the weekend. Not that absolutely everyone had an off day: let’s hope we still see the in-form and extremely promising Kelechi Iheanacho at some point tonight.

6.50pm BST

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Kroos, Isco, Jese, Ronaldo, Bale.
Subs: Casilla, Varane, James Rodriguez, Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez, Danilo, Mayoral.

Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, De Bruyne, Aguero.
Subs: Caballero, Mangala, Kolarov, Delph, Sterling, Bony, Iheanacho.

10.48am BST

Real Madrid are contesting the semi-finals of the European Cup for the 27th time in their history. So far, they’ve won 13, and they’ve lost 13, and the odds suggest statistical history is about to tip in their favour. That’s because they’ve won all five of their games at the Bernabéu in this season’s competition, a run which has included a 3-0 victory against Wolfsburg in the quarters and a Champions League record-equalling 8-0 shellacking of Malmö in the groups. If they experience the joy of six tonight, they’ll have made it to their 14th final.

The recent omens are good for Real. They’re unbeaten in nine matches against English clubs, having drawn last week against Manchester City, seen off Liverpool home and away in last year’s groups, knocked Manchester United out of the Round of 16 in 2013, beaten City at the Bernabéu in the 2012 groups before drawing in Manchester, and dispatched Spurs from the quarter finals in 2011. This represents something of a roll for La Liga’s grandest club against the finest the Premier League has to offer.

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The Fiver | Interminable quip-heavy interviews with Noel Gallagher

In today’s Fiver: Foxes fatigue, Big Cup, ‘Arry Redknapp and much more

Don’t get us wrong. The Fiver is as happy as the next person that Leicester City have won the league. Providing that next person isn’t a supporter of Derby County. Or Coventry City. Or Nottingham Forest, who can’t bang on about 1977-78 being the greatest underdog story of all time any more … for goodness sake do you need everything, aren’t the two subsequent Big Cups enough? Or they’re getting fed up reading articles about betting odds. Or had assumed they’d seen the back of Kasabian in 2007. Or has been exposed to so many clips of Claudio Ranieri being sweet that they’re risking the onset of type-two diabetes. Or are employed by either Tottenham Hotspur or Chelsea and had gone to the trouble of staging a couple of marvellous 1970s-style bench-emptying brawls only for everyone to forget about them almost immediately. None of those folk are very happy about it at all. Oh the humanity!

Related: Manchester City equipped for Real Madrid after learning from past faults | Daniel Taylor

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Villarreal 1-0 Liverpool: Europa League semi-final – as it happened

Adrián López scored with almost the last kick of the match to give the Spanish side a crucial first-leg victory.

9.57pm BST

And that’s pretty much the last kick of the match! A stunning counter attack deep into stoppage time has given the Yellow Submarine a crucial advantage in this Europa League semi-final. Villarreal stepped it up towards the end of the game, and got their reward. Jurgen Klopp looks visibly deflated, and no wonder: his side are suddenly up against it if they want to reach the final in Basle next month! Last word to palindrome fan Andy Gordon: “Bugger. I preferred the 0-0 aesthetic!”

9.55pm BST

Liverpool are playing a high line. Suarez bursts after a long ball down the right, and he’s got the beating of Toure. He draws Mignolet as he reaches the area, then lays off into the centre for Lopez, who sidefoots into an empty net! A brilliant move by the home side, and a sucker punch for Liverpool!

9.53pm BST

90 min +1: Milner, on the right, crosses towards Benteke, who can’t quite get enough on his header from eight yards. The ball breaks left to Ibe, but he can’t keep the move going. This game has burst into life at the very end!

9.52pm BST

90 min: Firmino is replaced by Christian Benteke. There will be three added minutes.

9.52pm BST

88 min: ... another corner, Lovren heading behind. And then from that, Suarez miscontrols in the deep, and suddenly Moreno is racing clear up the other end! For a second it looks like he’s going to replicate his pitch-length strike against Spurs last season, but instead slashes wildly high and left from the edge of the box. In fairness, he had Musacchio breathing down his neck, but even so, that’s a chance for a crucial away goal spurned.

9.50pm BST

87 min: Bakambu is so close to scoring! He’s been quiet all evening, but suddenly he bursts down the inside-right channel, reaches the edge of the area, and powers a curler towards the bottom left. It’s going in, but Mignolet stretches long to fingertip wide of the post! What a save! And from the corner ...

9.48pm BST

86 min: Ibe bursts into the box down the left and reaches the touchline. He scoops long, Clyne rising at the far post but unable to direct his header on target. The ball floats harmlessly wide right.

9.47pm BST

84 min: Milner loops a cross into the danger zone from the right, but Mario eyebrows away under no real pressure from any red shirt. Moreno tries to re-energise the attack on the left, but can’t get the ball back into the box.

9.46pm BST

83 min: Castillejo makes a couple of runs down the left, but can’t quite send Liverpool into panic, although a neat enough one-two with Suarez nearly comes off.

9.44pm BST

82 min: Liverpool spend a couple of minutes knocking the ball around the middle, with Villarreal sitting deep. It’s an unexciting stand-off.

9.43pm BST

9.42pm BST

80 min: Free kick to Villarreal, 30 yards out on the right. A chance to load the box. Suarez overhits the floater, and it’s easy for Mignolet to spring up and claim.

9.41pm BST

78 min: Ibe makes good down the left and earns a throw. Then, just after the ball’s flung back into play, he’s needlessly caught offside. Klopp doesn’t look particularly happy with that, either, though it’s his own man getting the laser stare now.

9.39pm BST

77 min: Bailly looks to have tugged the old hamstring while chasing back there. He’s replaced by Mateo Musacchio.

9.38pm BST

75 min: Adrian Lopez comes on for Soldado. Lucas then hoicks a long ball down the inside-left channel, and Lallana chases it from deep. He’s clear on goal! And then brought down in the area by Bailly. But the flag’s up for offside. A very, very marginal decision, that. On the touchline, Klopp throws a few semaphore shapes before engaging the fourth official in philosophical debate.

9.36pm BST

73 min: Clyne fires a low cross into the Villarreal box from the right. It’s only half cleared, and Allen feeds the ball out to Clyne again. Clyne dinks it in this time, and Lallana is gifted a header six yards out. He can’t power it goalwards, though, and Villarreal hack clear.

9.34pm BST

72 min: First change for the hosts: Samuel Castillejo comes on for Dos Santos.

9.33pm BST

70 min: The ref didn’t do a very good job of calming Soldado down. He slides across and flips Lucas into the air like a fried egg. He should be booked for that, but like Toure a few seconds earlier, he escapes sanction. See, it all works out in the long run.

9.32pm BST

69 min: This is getting a little feisty. Soldado and Toure come together in the middle of the park. Toure’s a bit lucky to escape a yellow card, as he wins the ball with a high boot. Soldado isn’t happy about it at all. The referee does his best to calm him down.

9.31pm BST

67 min: Marvellous scenes on the touchline after Lucas and Pina come together in the midfield. A big 50-50 crunch, but Lucas is penalised. Managers Klopp and Marcelino spend a few seconds gesticulating at each other, then have a full and frank exchange of views, before smiling and hugging each other. All pals again.

9.31pm BST

9.29pm BST

65 min: Milner plays a brilliant snappy pass down the inside-right channel to suddenly spring Firmino into the Villarreal box. Firmino turns and hammers hard towards the bottom right. Asenjo fingertips the shot onto the post, and the ball twangs away at speed. A fine pass, a magnificent shot, and a stunning save. Hats off.

9.27pm BST

63 min: Poor old Jaume Costa’s got a mouth full of blood, having taken a whack from Lovren’s elbow. There’s no question of foul play, though; it was a very strange incident, with the Villarreal defender running into the Liverpool player’s limply hanging arm. There wasn’t much elbow point to work with there at all! That’s very odd, and extremely unlucky. But he’ll be OK.

9.25pm BST

61 min: Ibe skitters down the left, cuts inside, and lays off to Allen, whose shot from 20 yards is meek. Milner picks up possession with a view to having another go, but miscontrols. Villarreal try to break upfield, but leave the ball to Lucas, who slides one down the right. If Firmino was on the front foot, he’d have been clear, but he checks back instead, and all momentum is lost. Liverpool aren’t playing badly, but they’re struggling to move up through the gears in the final third.

9.22pm BST

60 min: Jaume Costa goes in the book for a late slide on Clyne. He can’t really complain, and to his credit, he doesn’t.

9.22pm BST

58 min: Suarez scampers off down the left wing, nutmegging Milner to wild cheers. The run comes to nothing, but what a piece of skill. He’s a European nutmeg magnet, poor Milner.

9.19pm BST

57 min: It’s all a bit scrappy right now. Tense and scrappy. Semi-final football, right here.

9.18pm BST

55 min: Mario makes good down the right, and his low cross causes all manner of pinball nonsense in the Liverpool box. Bakambu tries to work room for a shot, but is forced to lay off to Soldado upon being swarmed. The ball breaks right to the man who started it all off; Mario blasts wildly over the bar from a tight angle, neither an effective cross nor realistic shot.

9.17pm BST

9.15pm BST

53 min: Coutinho isn’t injured, but his substitution isn’t tactical either; he’s simply feeling unwell.

9.14pm BST

51 min: Milner has a dig from a position on the right. It’s deflected away for a corner on the left. The ball’s worked out to Moreno, 25 yards out. His shot isn’t up to much, and Asenjo claims easily.

9.13pm BST

49 min: Villarreal are nearly made to pay for their poor decision at that corner. Liverpool edge their way up the park, and Lallana whips a ball into the box from the right that very nearly fluke-loops, Paul Konchesky style, into the far corner. Asenjo does very well to paw the ball away from danger.

9.11pm BST

47 min: Another corner for Villarreal, who have started this second half with great intent. It’s played short, and what a waste it is. The chance to hover another ball above this set-piece-shaky Liverpool defence is turned down.

9.09pm BST

46 min: Suarez comes at Liverpool immediately, and his pass towards Soldado down the inside-right channel forces Toure into stretching and conceding a corner. From the set piece. Bakambu rises above Lovren and from six yards crashes a header off the outside of the right-hand post. On the touchline, Klopp raises a wry eyebrow. His side should be behind.

9.08pm BST

Liverpool get the ball rolling for the second half. They’ve made a change, and it’s not the one you might expect: Jordon Ibe comes on for Philippe Coutinho. An injury? Nobody knows yet. “VIL 0-0 LIV,” recites Andy Gordon. “I am enjoying the palindromic score summary on the TV screen. OK, I’m easily amused.”

8.58pm BST

Half-time reading: Just in case you missed it, an in-depth analysis of this week’s Hillsborough verdict by David Conn.

Related: Hillsborough disaster: deadly mistakes and lies that lasted decades

8.53pm BST

Time for one last corner. It’s Liverpool’s, out on the right. Lucas gets his eyebrows to it, Asenjo claims, and that’s that for the opening 45. A half which promised more than it delivered, but it was entertaining enough, and the second 45 promises fascination. No flipping!

8.51pm BST

44 min: A bit of tiki-taka by Liverpool in front of the Villarreal box, Clyne, Lallana, Firmino and Coutinho all involved. But it’s way too intricate, and eventually possession is given up. Bombing down the flanks seemed a better option, to be honest.

8.48pm BST

42 min: Bruno slips a ball down the middle of the park for Soldado, who turns and shoots from the right-hand edge of the D. He sends a fine curler inches wide of the right-hand post. Wow, that was close. Mignolet waves his arms dismissively, kidding on he had it covered, but he’s fooling nobody. If that was on target, it was in.

8.48pm BST

8.46pm BST

40 min: Clyne, stretching down the inside-right channel, has a batter from 20 yards. The ball’s deflected to the left where Lallana traps and lays off to Coutinho on the edge of the box, just to the left of the D. Suffice to say Coutinho still hasn’t found his shooting boots.

8.44pm BST

38 min: Dos Santos rolls a fine pass down the inside-right channel for Bakambu to chase after. It’s what Bakambu loves to do, so Lovren does very well to shepherd him out to the right wing, then force him into giving up possession. That’s fine defence against a very dangerous player in full flight.

8.43pm BST

36 min: Bruno has a dig from distance that’s hooked out to the right by Toure. It should be cleared by Moreno, but the full back slips, allowing Mario to scamper onto a loose ball and take a shot from just inside the box. Moreno springs up impressively to throw himself in the road, and the ball’s deflected out for a corner, which is wasted.

8.41pm BST

33 min: Villarreal pin Liverpool back a little, but can’t do any damage. A refreshed Dos Santos swings one straight over the area from the right; Costa can’t get a cross back in from the left. “I see Villareal have overlooked Areola in favour of Asenjo in goal,” writes Niall Mullen. “Presumably he makes too many boobs.” I’d love to say we’re above this sort of thing, but clearly we’re not.

8.38pm BST

31 min: A lot of space for Milner down the left. He enters the box, with options in the middle, but delivers an absurd cross, hit at many hundreds of miles per hour, and high to boot. Peter Crouch would have struggled to get his head on that.

8.35pm BST

29 min: Coutinho’s trademark move: shifting the ball in from the left and looking for the corner. He often finds the top right of the goal; this time he can only find the top right of the stand. He grimaces in existential pain.

8.34pm BST

28 min: Dos Santos is down, in quite a lot of pain having gone up to challenge a high ball with Moreno, then landed awkwardly on his ankle as he came back to earth. He looks OK to continue right now, but for a few seconds there he looked in a lot of pain.

8.32pm BST

26 min: Milner, from a deep position on the right, curls a clever inswinger towards the far post. Firmino’s rushing in with a view to planting a header home, but Asenjo reads it well, coming off his line to tickle the ball off its route and claim.

8.30pm BST

24 min: Liverpool respond well to that period of pressure, Allen and Lallana attempting to work something good down the right. But it doesn’t quite come off. Both teams could have had a couple of goals already, this match is a lot of high-octane fun.

8.29pm BST

21 min: Some bedlam in the Liverpool box as Villarreal suddenly step it up. Suarez’s ball in from the left is trapped by Bakambu, who can’t quite get a shot away under pressure from Toure and backheels into space. Lucas tries to blooter clear, and is slightly unlucky as the ball pinballs its way to Pina on the edge of the area. Pina sidefoots powerfully towards the bottom right, and his excellent effort is well parried by Mignolet. Liverpool eventually clear after some more Bally-manufactured pinging. So close to an excellent opener.

8.25pm BST

18 min: Another cross into the Villarreal box, this time by Lallana from the right. Too high this time, and Asenjo plucks it from the sky. “The Pembrokeshire Pirlo (or, Crymych Crab) only misses those chances because the goal is in the wrong place,” opines Matt Dony. “If it was to the side of the pitch, he’d bury the chances all day long. Actually, that’s not entirely fair, and I am a fan of Allen. He’s really stepped up these last couple of months, but has spent far too much time in the past knocking it sideways for possession’s sake.” Oh Brendan!

8.23pm BST

16 min: Moreno and Clyne take turns to whip balls into the Villarreal area from the wings. Nobody’s there in the middle. Penny for the thoughts of Daniel Sturridge.

8.22pm BST

15 min: Another push forward by Liverpool, Coutinho winning the ball off Bruno and feeding Allen, who 30 yards out has options either side but turns into trouble. He’s forced to check and lay off for Lallana, who Lucases a shot well to the left of goal. Both teams are looking lively in attack.

8.22pm BST

8.20pm BST

14 min: A bit of space for Firmino on the right, sent down there by Clyne. He earns a corner, which is taken short. After some tippy-tappy nonsense up and down the right flank, the ball’s shuttled in to Lucas, who tries to score from 25 yards with predictable results.

8.18pm BST

12 min: Villarreal are looking very lively. Dos Santos earns a corner down the right. Lallana having cleared the first corner of the match, the diminutive jinker who takes his turn this time is Coutinho, flicking the ball over Bruno on the edge of the area to win a pressure-relieving free kick.

8.17pm BST

11 min: From a free kick in the middle of the Liverpool half, Bruno pitching-wedges a delightful ball down the inside-right channel to send Soldado into the area. Soldado whips a low shot across the face of goal and inches wide of the left-hand post. So close, with Liverpool’s back four snoozing. Soldado might have been half a yard offside, so it’s probably just as well that didn’t go in.

8.15pm BST

9 min: Bruno chips down the left wing and very nearly releases Bakambu into lots of space. Clyne has his chops up, though, and batters the ball out of play. Liverpool’s full backs are playing high up the park, leaving acres behind them. This could prove a high-wire act.

8.13pm BST

7 min: Clyne is forced by Suarez into the concession of a corner on the left. Lallana heads it clear. A lovely open feel to this match.

8.11pm BST

5 min: But it’s Liverpool who should be ahead. Villlarreal don’t look so clever at the back as they let Lallana skitter down the right and roll a simple ball into the area for Allen, who is running in, meeting the ball cleanly on the penalty spot. He’s not challenged, it’s a free go at goal. But he hits the ball straight at Asenjo. That should have been a goal. He doesn’t half miss some good chances, Joe Allen.

8.10pm BST

3 min: Bakambu slides a ball down the inside-right channel for Dos Santos, who from Liverpool’s point of view is in far too much space. He shapes to shoot from the right-hand edge of the D, but the backtracking Moreno slides in to force the ball back to Mignolet. Villarreal soon come at the visitors again, via Suarez down the left. Suarez hooks a brilliant cross towards the near post, and if Bakambu was half a yard further ahead, he’d be heading home from six yards. But the ball gets through to Mignolet. A bright start by the hosts.

8.07pm BST

2 min: A slow start to the game, with Villarreal still stroking it around the back at snail’s pace. Liverpool can’t get a touch. Now they know how everyone else felt during the late 70s and early 80s.

8.06pm BST

It’s Villarreal’s first European semi since 2011; Liverpool’s first since 2010. Both teams will be hoping for a better outcome. The home side get the ball rolling, and knock it around the back awhile. All their defenders, plus a couple of midfielders, get a touch. A wise move.

8.04pm BST

The teams are out! Villarreal in their increasingly famous yellow, Liverpool in their storied red. It’s a scene of bright, brash, primary beauty. Supporters on all four sides of the stadium cooking up a storm. The home fans wave a banner: “96, You’ll Never Walk Alone.” That’s a lovely touch towards the end of an epochal, emotional week.

8.02pm BST

Sky of blue, pitch of green. It was raining in Spain earlier today, but the sun came out later, long enough for the sprinklers to now be sent whipping across the lush turf before kick-off. A magnificent atmosphere in El Madrigal, and a fine sight to boot, with fans of the Yellow Submarine waving scarves to match. “I asked my (imaginary) friend, who I call Phil, what sort of a team Liverpool are playing. He replied that he hoped they would be more Villa than Real. He’s here all week. He says try the mariscadas.” Put your hands together for a new variety act, ladies and gentlemen, Ian Copestake & Phil. They’re here all week. Try the mariscadas.

7.54pm BST

Jurgen Klopp speaks! “It is difficult here against Villarreal. They have some good players. It was a very difficult decision to be honest [to go with Firmino up front ahead of Sturridge]. I thought about a lot of things. In the end I decided for a little more stability. In a 4-3-3, however you want, we didn’t play with Daniel until now. And so we thought for today this 4-3-3, 4-5-1, sometimes a diamond, it’s a very flexible style and it makes sense for the players to have played together before.” As for the suspended Sakho? “Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren have played together, it is our situation. We could talk about Emre Can, Divock Origi or Hendo if you want, but they are not here. We have a really good side on the pitch and a very good bench so we can react in the game. Hopefully we will be successful!”

7.32pm BST

Villarreal have been spluttering a little since beating Sparta Prague 4-2 in the quarters. A 2-1 defeat at Rayo Vallecano was followed by a comprehensive 3-0 battering at Real Madrid. A goalless draw here at El Madrigal against Real Sociedad didn’t improve the mood too much: the fourth Champions League spot in La Liga, which looked a shoo-in, isn’t a given any more, with Celta Vigo breathing down their necks. The Yellow Submarine make two changes to their weekend team: Jaume Costa comes in for Antonio Rukavina, while Jonathan dos Santos replaces Samuel Castillejo.

7.12pm BST

A couple of mild eye-openers on the Liverpool teamsheet there. No place in the starting line-up for Daniel Sturridge. Roberto Firmino could well be assigned to run Villarreal ragged in the Divock Origi style, with Liverpool’s star striker coming on later when the opposition are feeling tender. That’s the plan, anyway. Look at it another way: he’ll be there to throw on should Liverpool find themselves in a tight spot. Speaking of firepower in reserve: Sturridge sits on the bench alongside Christian Benteke, who returns after a month out with knee problems. Meanwhile at the back, Kolo Toure is asked to fill Mamadou Sakho’s shoes, while in midfield, Lucas is recalled to add some order to the midfield, offer a little bite in the tackle, give away free kicks on the edge of the area in stoppage time, etc.

7.02pm BST

Villarreal: Sergio Asenjo, Mario, Bailly, Victor Ruiz, Jaume, Jonathan, Pina, Bruno, Suarez, Soldado, Bakambu.
Subs: Areola, Musacchio, Samuel, Trigueros, Castillejo, Adrian, Rukavina.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno, Lucas, Allen, Milner, Lallana, Coutinho, Firmino.
Subs: Ward, Benteke, Sturridge, Skrtel, Ibe, Smith, Chirivella.

11.57am BST

Liverpool’s 17th appearance in a European semi-final is a match-up between two teams unaccustomed to losing in the Europa League right now. Villarreal are unbeaten in 11 fixtures in this competition, their only defeat coming on Matchday 1 at Rapid Vienna, and they’ve won all six of their ties here at El Madrigal. Liverpool meanwhile are the only club to make it from the start of the group stage to the semis unbeaten, with five victories and seven draws under their belt. Something’s got to change tonight.

Villarreal have reached the semi-finals of this competition twice before, losing on both occasions to the eventual winners: Rafa Benítez’s Valencia in 2004 and the Porto of André Villas-Boas in 2011. Liverpool are here for the fifth time. They were the better side against Leeds United in the 1971 Fairs Cup, only to find Gary Sprake in inspired form; a goal from Billy Bremner, running about on a barely healed broken leg, did for them. They triumphed over Tottenham Hotspur in 1973, then Barcelona in 1976 and 2001. Most recently in 2010 they lost to Atlético Madrid during the final days of the Benítez era.

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The Fiver | A decent attempt to turn base failure into glittering achievement

In today’s Fiver: Bobby M, channelling your inner Steve Backley, and dark forces

Bobby M has attracted quite a bit of criticism lately, and no wonder. His Everton team’s home record makes Paul Jewell’s Derby County look like late-80s-era Steaua Bucharest. His success rate in big games makes David Moyes look like the second coming of Lord Ferg. And the trademark intensity of his fitness regime makes Ross Barkley, previously one of English football’s brightest prospects, play like a better-defined, hunkier version of Mr Creosote. Albeit with less explosive pace.

Related: Everton’s Roberto Martínez: judge me over three seasons, not three months

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Manchester City 0-0 Real Madrid: Champions League semi-final – as it happened

No Cristiano Ronaldo, an out-of-sorts Karim Benzema and an injured David Silva. It all added up to a slightly disappointing evening at the City of Manchester Stadium.

9.39pm BST

Not an ideal result for City, then, especially with Ronaldo missing and Benzema out of sorts. An opportunity missed. But they began to rock a little towards the end of that second half, and Real could easily have snatched a precious away goal that would have made things awfully difficult at the Bernabeu. (Hats off to the excellent Joe Hart for keeping it goalless.) So as things stand, they’re still right in this tie, just 90, perhaps 120 minutes plus penalties, away from their first-ever European Cup final! The dream is not yet out of reach.

9.37pm BST

90 min +3: With the box loaded, De Bruyne goes for the top left, in an attempt to catch Navas out. Navas tips the ball over the bar, but nothing comes from the resulting corner. That’s it!

9.36pm BST

90 min +2: De Bruyne turns on the burners down the left and outstrips Carvajal, who brings him down cynically. A yellow card, taken for the team. But a free kick just to the left of the area! Some late, late drama?

9.35pm BST

90 min +1: There will be two added minutes. The first passes without drama.

9.34pm BST

90 min: Aguero finds himself in a rare bit of space down the inside-left channel. He’s got Sterling in acres to his right, and finds him. But Sterling, running powerfully down the middle towards the box, takes a heavy touch and allows Pepe to come across and block clear. For a split second there, before the ball touched Sterling’s boot, City fans permitted themselves to dream.

9.33pm BST

89 min: Isco comes on for Kroos. Perhaps Real are going to give it one roll of the dice after all.

9.32pm BST

88 min: Real are sitting back. City are meanwhile knocking it around the middle of the park in the unambitious style. It looks as though, for very different reasons, both teams are settling for the 0-0. It’s a good result for Real, while City have been rocking a little, and can’t afford to lose.

9.30pm BST

86 min: Modric looks to slide Lucas Vazquez clear into the box down the right, but Clichy reads the danger well and clears. That was close.

9.29pm BST

84 min: City respond with a rare sortie into the Real box, but Iheanacho and Aguero can’t get anything going from a tight position down the left. “What is it with ZZ and his touchline inappropriate skinny pants?” wonders Ian Copestake. “Does the man never learn or has he mysteriously run out of fat burning pills? D’oh.”

9.26pm BST

82 min: Bale opens his body and sends a screamer of a free kick towards the top left. But the ball slaps off Otamendi’s face and out for a corner on the left. The set piece causes all sorts of bother in the City box. Bale flicks on to Pepe, six yards out, who chests down and smacks the ball goalwards. Surely it’s in! But Hart once again gets himself in the road. He’s fast becoming City’s hero tonight. What a save! That was Schmeichelesque.

9.25pm BST

81 min: Marcelo looks for a penalty kick as he charges down the inside-left channel and goes over Fernando’s outstretched leg. A foul, inches outside the area. A marvellous decision by a referee who has been on top of everything tonight. But this is a free kick in a very dangerous position.

9.23pm BST

79 min: Bale turns with purpose down the left and earns a corner for Real. It’s whipped in high. Casemiro rises, six yards out, and heads down goalwards. Hart does very well to adjust himself and block with his feet. City are beginning to cling on here.

9.22pm BST

77 min: Jese slipped a ball down the inside-right channel for Lucas Vazquez to chase. He enters the box and goes down, suggesting he’s been clipped from behind by Otamendi. That’s not clear at full speed, or on the replay. Who’d be a referee? City don’t make a fuss of it, while Real don’t go big either. City need to step it up a gear, though, and to this end replace Navas with Sterling.

9.19pm BST

75 min: Now it’s Bale’s turn to come in from the right. He looks to curl one into the bottom left corner, and it’s not far off, though again Hart, at full stretch, looked to have the angles covered. Real are getting very close, though. City are beginning to lose a little control here.

9.18pm BST

73 min: Real are turning up the heat now. Modric glides in from the right and attempts to find the far corner with a rising shot. It’s well over the bar. The home fans are falling quiet for the first time, as this game enters a very tense period. City need a goal, but it’s even more important that they avoid conceding.

9.16pm BST

71 min: De Bruyne scampers down the left, and swings a ball into the box for Aguero. The cross doesn’t find his man. City claim a penalty, suggesting the ball hit Carvajal’s hand. But they’re not getting it. Real swish up the other end, Lucas Vasquez making space down the right and swinging a high cross into the centre. Jese rises above Fernando and his header loops over Hart and off the top of the crossbar! Hart probably had that covered, but only just. The closest we’ve come to a goal tonight.

9.12pm BST

68 min: Corner for City down the right, Navas doing the work. De Bruyne and Navas exchange crisp passes from the corner, the former scampering into the box. But De Bruyne’s low cross-cum-shot is easily gathered by Navas.

9.10pm BST

66 min: A rare shot on goal, as Kroos shifts the ball inside from the left and has a slash from 20 yards. The ball bumbles harmlessly out of play to the left of the goal, Hart trotting over to watch its progress with detached interest.

9.09pm BST

65 min: It’s a little bit scrappy all of a sudden. Pepe clips Aguero to the ground down the City left, Jesus Navas barges Casemiro to the floor on the right. The fans still belting out Blue Moon. The atmosphere has bubbled along nicely all evening.

9.07pm BST

63 min: Lucas Vazquez goes scampering down the right and very nearly tears clear, but Kompany comes across to take charge and shepherd the ball out of play. Frustrated, Lucas Vasquez wrestles Kompany to the ground as the pair skitter towards the advertising hoardings. Kompany gets up and complains not a jot; it’s the rough and tumble he expects at this level.

9.05pm BST

62 min: This game has developed a pleasing basketball-style rhythm, with both sides taking turns to launch attacks. Problem is, everything’s getting broken up by the time they reach the final third, at either end of the pitch. Something’s got to give soon. Hasn’t it?

9.04pm BST

59 min: City are looking to move through the gears. First De Bruyne busies himself along the left to win a corner he subsequently wastes himself. Then Auguro dribbles with power down the right, entering the box only to be denied by a brave grab at his feet from Navas. The Real keeper takes a clank upside the head for his trouble, but it’s all accidental, and the play soon moves on.

9.02pm BST

56 min: Referencing the old-fashioned British comedy tradition, it appears Zidane has split his trousers, while jumping around in irritation at the Bale penalty claim. Frank Randle would surely approve.

8.59pm BST

54 min: ... a goalkeeper is forced into action! The corner finds Ramos, eight yards out. He should score, really, but blasts his header straight at Hart, who claims and sets City away on the counter. Iheanacho works away down the left, nearly getting a shot on target from a tight angle but settling for a corner. City’s set piece is sent long. Kompany, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, eyebrows a lame header out of play on the right, but he was shoving illegally anyway.

8.57pm BST

53 min: Real turn up the gas a little. Modric very nearly releases Marcelo into the box down the left with an insouciant flick of the outside of his boot. Then Marcelo dribbles down the same wing and is upended by Kompany. The free kick is scooped into the area, forcing the impressive Otamendi to head behind for a corner out on the right. From which ...

8.55pm BST

51 min: Jese causes a bit of bother down the right, earning a corner off Otamendi. Kroos swings the set piece into the mixer, but it causes no bother. City clear with a yawn.

8.53pm BST

49 min: Ramos, attempting to trap a long City hoof, takes a majestic fresh-air swipe at the ball. No danger results, but that’s entertained the masses.

8.52pm BST

47 min: And now Real come at City with purpose. Bale powers down the right and enters the area. He tries to go past Otamendi, and nearly manages it, but trips over his own feet. He wants a penalty, but the referee - who has got every decision right so far - isn’t having a bar of it. Bale theatrically throws his arms around in disbelief, and on the touchline Zidane vogues in similar style. But no.

8.51pm BST

46 min: Nearly a dream start to the half for City! Fernandinho slips a simple ball down the inside-left channel to release Aguero into space. He’s got Real defenders guarding the edge of the box, so is forced to have a dig from distance. His rising screamer only just clears the crossbar, though Navas almost certainly had it covered. Still, that’s as good as anything we saw in the first half.

8.48pm BST

Real get the ball rolling for the second half. Jese has come on for Benzema, who might still be struggling with the injury that cut his weekend La Liga appearance in half. “Ronaldo? Even his name is a knock-off.” ” Justin Kavanagh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week, try the artisan Scotch egg.

8.37pm BST

Half-time entertainment: Madrid’s first visit to Manchester, back in 1957, in which local concern United fail to complete a five-goal comeback, and instead attempt to pull Manuel Torres’s arms and legs off, one by one. Something for everyone in here.

8.35pm BST

Marcelo, on the left-hand corner of the City box, loops long for Benzema, who nearly connects at the far post. But City clear, and that’s that for the first 45. Real perhaps shaded it, certainly towards the end of the half, though neither goalkeeper has had their gloves warmed yet. It’s cagy, as you’d expect from the first half of four in a European Cup semi-final, but it’s been fascinating nevertheless. The next 45 minutes will be some of the biggest in City’s history. You’d think they need a goal. See you soon: no flipping!

8.32pm BST

45 min: Real are pushing hard for that crucial away goal. Pepe is found in space down the right. He reaches the byline and pulls the ball back for Benzema, who leans back and scores some rugby-union points. A poor effort, that, considering he had a little time to control and perhaps advance on goal.

8.30pm BST

44 min: Now it’s Bale’s turn to skitter around down the left flank. He wins a corner off Otamendi, who comes over to block the inevitable cross. Kroos’s corner is headed clear at the near post by De Bruyne. City could do with the half-time whistle.

8.29pm BST

43 min: Marcelo twists and turns down the left, and is eventually allowed to cross low by Sagna. Real have players in the box, but Kompany reads the danger well and intercepts, then blooters clear.

8.28pm BST

41 min: The game restarts, but City don’t. First Bale has a lash from 25 yards on the right. His shot whistles inches wide of the bottom corner, but he was offside anyway. Then a loose Kompany pass allows Benzema to dribble with purpose towards the City box, straight down the middle. He’s got Lucas Vazquez free to his right, but can’t find him as City swarm well to crush the danger.

8.27pm BST

40 min: A visibly distraught Silva walks off the pitch to be replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho. That’s a dreadful stroke of luck for one of City’s most dangerous players, though Ihenacho has 11 goals to his name this season, and will carry no little threat himself.

8.25pm BST

39 min: Another break in play. Silva appears to have injured himself while stretching to foul Bale. He’s feeling the back of his leg and shaking his head quite a lot. This could be a huge loss for City.

8.24pm BST

37 min: A shot of Ronaldo on the Real bench. He’s taken his headphones off. No cans. Unless Argos have shipped him those in-ear numbers by courier. Meanwhile on the field, Silva absurdly trips Bale from behind, as the Real winger trots out of his own half. A daft yellow to pick up.

8.22pm BST

35 min: A break in play as Lucas Vazquez is treated, having been winded by Kompany, who accidentally kneed him in the chest. He’ll be fine by the looks of it. And indeed there he is, up and about, with a face on. This is nicely spiky, without being nasty. It is a Champions League semi-final, after all.

8.20pm BST

33 min: Bale looks to power-turn Kompany down the left wing. That occurred near the centre circle, but if Bale had won the duel, he would have been free in a lot of space, with Benzema waiting to make a decisive run from the other flank. Kompany fouls smartly, and gets away with a long chat from referee Job.

8.18pm BST

30 min: Quite a few tasty challenges flying in right now. Casemiro comes through the back of Aguero, then Sagna flies in late and studs showing on Ramos. The referee is being very lenient tonight, a fair enough approach providing he doesn’t flip like peak-era Howard Webb and start flashing the yellow willy-nilly. “Freekick taking coathanger!!!!!” guffaws Andy Gordon. “Ronaldo is good but no Dimitri Payet. And physiognomically speaking, a clothes horse would be more apt.” Peace and love, remember, Andy, peace and love.

8.15pm BST

27 min: Fernandinho runs down the right and is upended by Ramos. Just a free kick, which results in a little game of head tennis before Silva loops a cross from the left out of play. No yellow for Ramos for that challenge, which is fairly fortunate as he was late, and also planted his boot on Ferdandinho’s ankle. You’ve seen reds for contact like that, though in fairness to the defender, his boot appeared to bounce off the ball a split second before studs hit bone, so it didn’t seem deliberate. A yellow for clumsiness would have been fair. The City player is fine, though, which is the main thing.

8.12pm BST

25 min: The free kick’s sent deep, and finds the head of Kompany, level with the left-hand post, eight yards out. Kompany should do a whole lot better than flumping a header straight down into the turf. There’s a free kick for tugging and fussing, and the pressure on Real is relieved.

8.11pm BST

24 min: Now it’s City’s turn to press, and press again. De Bruyne strides down the right channel and strokes a pass forward for Aguero, who can’t quite get a shot away. Pepe clears. Then another wave of attack, and De Bruyne opens his legs on the same flank. He’s in a bit of space, to the right of the box, and is flipped into the air like a fried egg by Pepe, coming across to cover for the out-of-position Marcelo. That’s a booking, and a free kick in a very dangerous position.

8.08pm BST

21 min: Real are stepping it up a bit here. First Bale bursts into space down the right after a sloppy mistake in the centre of the pitch by Kompany; City’s captain clears up his own mess by forcefully heading the resulting cross clear. Then Carvajal makes good down the same flank, but his deep cross is cleared by Sagna. A lot of audible teeth sucking in the City stands. Real don’t half carry some threat, Ronaldo or no Ronaldo.

8.07pm BST

20 min: Lucas Vazquez dribbles with extreme prejudice down the right wing, and nearly works the space for a shot in the box. Otamendi slides across, the ball clanking back off the Real attacker for a goal kick.

8.05pm BST

18 min: Marcelo tries to send Benzema off down the left wing with a silky backheel. The ball is shanked off into the dugouts. The crowd enjoyed that, but full marks for ambition.

8.04pm BST

16 min: De Bruyne threatens to burst into acres of space from deep on the left. He leaves Pepe for dead, but is stopped in his tracks by a fine sliding tackle from Casemiro, coming across to cover. De Bruyne so close to breaking clear there. He’s a magnificent player. This is a fun, lively game.

8.02pm BST

14 min: Fernando tries to slip Aguero away with a sliderule pass down the inside-left channel. If he’d weighted it properly, the striker was clear. But the ball fizzes out of play. “Perhaps Ronaldo is not sporting headphones but gold plated heated ear-muffs,” suggests Mark Judd. “He knows it can get chilly in Manchester so came prepared.” Maybe. The size of them would suggest they can also control his central heating back at home.

8.01pm BST

13 min: Bale makes good down the right and manages to dig out a cross from a tight position. The ball loops into the City box, where Benzema takes a fresh-air swipe at it. That would have been a hell of a volley had he connected - Zidane-esque - so no shame in that.

7.58pm BST

11 min: Casemiro absolutely clatters Fernandinho in the centre circle. (Not a euphemism.) You’ve seen yellow cards given for that, too, but to be fair the Real midfielder was simply done by a sassy sashay; it was clumsy rather than malicious. The referee once again goes for the Benefit Of Doubt option. Sensible and fair. This could all make for a very competitive game.

7.56pm BST

9 min: City are pressing hard, and pressing well. De Bruyne slips a ball out wide to Navas, whose deep cross finds nobody. Not entirely sure where Aguero or Siva were there; not in the box, that’s for sure. It was a decent ball from a player who sometimes flatters to deceive.

7.55pm BST

7 min: Silva drops a shoulder and zips down the left for the byline. He should earn a corner off Carvajal, but the referee gives the defender a generous benefit of the doubt. It’s a lively start, with both teams showing plenty of attacking intent. “There is nothing about Ronaldo that is anything other than cheap market knock off,” opines Ian Copestake. “It’s what makes him so saleable. In summary, he’s a freekick taking coathanger. Peace and love.” Yes, that last line will calm even the most defensive internet fan down, won’t it. So it’s probably worth pointing out, in the name of journalistic balance, that Lionel Messi has also signed some marketing deals in his time, too. Peace and love, everyone, peace and love.

7.54pm BST

6 min: City settle a little, and Fernandinho escapes the attention of Kroos down the right, nearly sending Aguero into space. Nothing doing this time. City come again, Clichy swinging a ball into the Real box from the left. Aguero’s sniffing around, but Navas is off his line quickly to claim. The fans are still giving it plenty. A perfect, crackling mix of excitement and nerves.

7.52pm BST

4 min: City struggling to hold onto the ball at the moment. The lively Benzema spins Otamendi down the right as he chases a Pepe pass. Otamendi slides in to take him down. Just a free kick, though you’ve seen referees in Europe dish out cheap cards for that; he was coming in from the side, but also slightly behind. Thankfully, the referee has more sense. But Otamendi has already felt the danger posed by Benzema. He’ll need to think on.

7.49pm BST

2 min: But the visitors are quickly on the front foot. Benzema forces Kompany into the concession of a corner down the Real right. Clichy gets a firm head to the set piece, and clears City’s lines with minimum fuss.

7.48pm BST

City get the ball rolling on the biggest night in their history, and pass it around the back a bit. A couple of touches for both of the central defenders, forming an unlikely partnership tonight. Kompany to Otamendi, Otamendi to Kompany. A hearty rendition of Blue Moon pours down from the stand. Nobody standing alone tonight. This is on!

7.44pm BST

What an atmosphere at the City of Manchester Stadium! The fans making a hell of a racket. With their team two-thirds of the way along the Road to Milano, we’d expect nothing else. As well as a beautiful noise, it’s a glorious sight, with supporters waving huge shiny blue and white flags, the colours spelling out C-I-T-Y across the stand in large letters. The teams take to the field, and the place erupts. City in their famous powder blue, Real in third-choice dark blue. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.34pm BST

Manuel Pellegrini speaks! “Maybe this is the most important game this club has played in its history. So it is very important not to miss this chance. We must play our football and try to beat Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo is a very important player for them, but they have a great squad and just because he is not playing, it doesn’t mean we will have an easy game. It is important that all our players perform well. Both teams will attack. We must try not to concede a goal, but we need to score, so I think it will be an open game!” What a lovely man. We’re going to miss him when he’s gone.

7.27pm BST

Zinedine Zidane speaks! “This is an important competition for us. I would say that, after the World Cup, the Champions League is the most important competition. Real Madrid must reach the top every time. Even if we win it I would not be considered a great manager. Longevity will prove whether I am good or not.”

Shane O’Leary however is less interested in how Zizou rates in comparison to the Jose Villalongas, Vicente del Bosques and Carlo Ancelottis of this world, and more in the crude cans on Cristiano’s lugs. “I’m no expert,” he begins promisingly, “but surely at least part of the point of being Christiano Ronaldo would be the ability to get a pair of headphones that didn’t look like a cheap market knock off? They probably sound great though.”

7.12pm BST

Poor old Ronaldo, who trudges onto the pitch at the City of Manchester Stadium, looks over to the Real supporters with puppy eyes, and gives them a theatrical thumbs down. Damn that thigh injury. Or perhaps he ordered some neat little in-ear headphones from Argos, but got sent these gold-plated monstrosities instead. Either way, this is only the third match he’s missed since February last year. Some appearance record for an old soldier, huh.

6.58pm BST

Some big team news: no Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid! Having tweaked his thigh against Villarreal recently, he doesn’t even make the bench tonight. But Karem Benzema, who limped away from the Rayo Vallecano game at the weekend, has recovered.

Meanwhile there’s no Yaya Toure for Manchester City. The big man jiggered his thigh against Stoke City at the weekend. His inability to recover has saved Manuel Pellegrini a decision: Toure’s been hot and cold all season, and wasn’t exactly missed during the insouciant swatting aside of PSG in the last round. Meanwhile captain Vincent Kompany returns, so it’s all welcome news for the home side right now.

6.52pm BST

Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Fernandinho, Fernando, Jesus Navas, De Bruyne, Silva, Aguero.
Subs: Caballero, Zabaleta, Sterling, Kolarov, Delph, Mangala, Iheanacho.

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Lucas, Benzema, Bale.
Subs: Casilla, Varane, Rodriguez, Kovacic, Jese, Isco, Danilo.

1.38pm BST

This is Real Madrid’s 27th appearance in the semi finals of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. No breaking news here. But tonight also marks the first of another famous old club. Nearly forty-eight years after making their continental debut, Manchester City are competing at the business end of the Champions League at long last. Welcome to the top table, City. What’s kept you?

What’s kept them? City being City, of course. Back in 1968, their first European Cup adventure ended almost as soon as it started, an over-confident Malcolm Allison seriously underestimating Fenerbahçe. He’d done no research. They’d have to wait another 43 years for a second crack, at which point they developed the unfortunate habit of being drawn in groups of death containing hardened European campaigners: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli. And once they finally found a way to clear those particular hurdles, they kept drawing peak-era Barcelona in the Round of 16. Typical City.

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Atlético Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: Champions League quarter-final – as it happened

Two Antoine Griezmann goals sent the European champions packing.

9.42pm BST

A deserved victory for Atlético. Barcelona should have had a penalty right at the end, of course; Gabi handled Iniesta’s shot inside the box. But then should Iniesta have been on the pitch, after making a save as last man to concede a penalty himself a couple of minutes earlier? Questions, questions. But on the whole the home team were far superior. Every single one of their players put in a fine performance; the same can’t really be said for Barcelona, who were very poor indeed. Lionel Messi stomped off with a face on, the most notable thing he did all evening. So Atletico make the semis, where they may get a chance to avenge their 2014 final heartbreak at the hands of city rivals Real. Barcelona, meanwhile, join the long list of Champions League winners unable to hang onto their crown. Ah well, there’s always next year!

Related: Atlético Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann sends Barcelona crashing out

9.37pm BST

Atletico had done it! Deservedly so! They do have Barca’s number in Europe!

9.36pm BST

90 min +5: Turan tries to break down the right. Filipe Luis steps across, and shepherds the ball out of play. Magnificent defending under pressure!

9.35pm BST

90 min +4: Koke is booked as Atletico do an awful lot of faffing down the right wing, deep in Barca territory. He’s happy to take it. Time ticks on.

9.34pm BST

90 min +3: Savic comes on for Fernandez. A clock management classic.

9.33pm BST

90 min +2: Messi takes, looks for the top right corner, and blooters it harmlessly over the bar. Barcelona’s reign is almost over. Though exactly how long they have to save themselves is unclear: no board’s been shown!

9.32pm BST

90 min +1: Barcelona should have had a penalty! Iniesta, to the left of the D, tries a curling shot. It hits Gabi’s hand. Gabi’s arm went to the ball. He’d stepped out of the area, but his hand was inside. Barcelona are livid, but all they’re getting is a free kick. You might hear a bit more about that.

9.31pm BST

90 min: After a lot of faffing, Correa comes on for the two-goal hero Grizemann. And is immediately booked for taking so long to walk on!

9.29pm BST

Grizemann threads the ball into the bottom right. Ter Stegen gets a hand on the ball, but it’s a weak one, and his wrist gives like the hinge on a saloon door. Barcelona needed a goal; they still need a goal. If they get one, we’re in extra time. But as things stand, the champions are going out!

9.28pm BST

87 min: A break by Filipe Luis, who powers down the inside-left channel and enters the box. He looks to slip the ball right towards Griezmann, but Iniesta dives on the penalty spot to stop the pass reaching the man with his hand. That should be a red card, really, but there’s not even a booking. It is a penalty though!

9.26pm BST

85 min: Atletico are beginning to panic, as the game has turned into attack versus defence. Lucas Hernandez takes a fresh-air swipe at a clearance, and so surprised is Koke that he nearly handles the ball. Godin finds Row Z, and everyone calms down.

9.25pm BST

84 min: Suarez certainly isn’t giving this up. He first breaks down the right and fizzes a low cross into the box; it’s cleared. Then he hits a snapshot on the turn amid a melee in the area, but there’s no pace in the effort and Oblak is behind it anyway.

9.24pm BST

83 min: Free kick for Barca out on the right. They load the box. Messi takes. Oblak comes out and flaps a little. But he half clears. Then Pique breaks into the area down the left, and flies over Filipe Luis’s leg. He’s after a penalty, and should be booked for a creative dive. But it’s a fine tackle and play goes on.

9.22pm BST

81 min: Messi, dropping deep, tries to find Neymar down the inside-left channel with a floating ball. It’s not particularly accurate, though, and drops like a feather into Oblak’s arms. Barcelona have been much better as an attacking force in this second half, and yet the keeper hasn’t had to make too many crucial interventions. Most unlike Barca.

9.20pm BST

79 min: A bit of Atletico possession in the Barca half for the first time in a while. Griezmann and Partey think about one-twoing to open up the visitors down the left, but opt to hog the ball for a bit longer instead. Tick, tock.

9.18pm BST

77 min: Jordi Alba cuts in from the left and has a shot, but it’s blocked easily enough. Neymar then chases after Juanfran down the left, the latter shepherding the ball out of play for a goal kick. Which he does, and Neymar takes a frustrated lash at the back of his legs. That’s an obvious yellow, and if the referee was in the mood, a red. But yellow it is. Neymar is swarmed by blue shirts, who are less interested in fighting and more interested in wasting some time, I’ll be bound. Again, who can blame them? Look at the score, against the reigning European champions, and look at the clock.

9.16pm BST

75 min: Some head tennis in the Atletico box. Suarez loops one towards Messi, and for a second it looks like a goal is certain. But Oblak comes off his line to punch convincingly upfield.

9.16pm BST

9.14pm BST

74 min: As has the replacement of Carrasco with Partey, which took forever and a day. Atletico already resorting to clock management in the professional style, and who could blame them? They’re within touching distance of the semi-finals.

9.13pm BST

72 min: Turan tries to burst clear down the right, but Juanfran comes across and boots the ball in his opponent’s face. It twangs out for a goal kick. That minor brouhaha has disrupted Barcelona’s momentum.

9.12pm BST

70 min: Gabi is booked for making sure Messi doesn’t move with purpose down the inside-right channel. After the restart, Turan whips a cross into the Atletico box from the right. Suarez tries a header, but Godin gets in front. Atletico clear. Suarez has clocked Godin on the lug with his elbow, a bit of Fellaini-style rough and tumble. Godin complains quite a lot. Suarez gets booked. Filipe Luis and Neymar think about booting each other in the swingers, but are pulled apart by team-mates. Marvellous old-fashioned fun.

9.08pm BST

67 min: Iniesta rolls a ball down the inside-left channel for Suarez, who rolls Godin and batters a fierce shot straight at Oblak. That will have stung the keeper’s hands. It’s not clear how Atletico can hold out here: it’s attack versus defence, and Barca are getting incrementally closer with every attempt on goal.

9.06pm BST

65 min: Barcelona make a double change: Arda Turan and Sergi Roberto come on for Rakitic and Dani Alves. Turan’s first act is to shoot from 20 yards. It’s charged down. Suarez instigates some head tennis in the Atletico box. A corner, which is fairly quietly dealt with by the hosts. But the champions are beginning to apply some serious pressure now.

9.05pm BST

63 min: Diego Simeone isn’t happy at what his team are up to. They’re sitting far too deep now, inviting pressure. Twice in a minute, shots fly straight at Oblak from the left, first Jordi Alba, then Iniesta. Simeone hops from foot to foot.

9.03pm BST

62 min: Barcelona have been growing into this half, probing and prodding, very nearly opening Atletico up. But then suddenly Grizemann is chasing after a long ball down the right, and with no support, he makes it all the way into the box. Faced with a difficult angle, he powers straight at Ter Stegen, who stoops to gather at the near post.

9.01pm BST

60 min: Jordi Alba finds himself released into the Barca area down the right. He fires low into the middle. Pique was six yards out, waiting to tap home, but Gabi, at full stretch, hooks away. That’s top-class defending.

9.00pm BST

58 min: Messi tries a snapshot from the left-hand corner of the Atletico D. It’s deflected away to the left of the goal for a corner. From the set piece, Barcelona confuse themselves. Messi is forced into an up-and-under, just to see what might happen. Atletico clear easily, is what happens.

8.58pm BST

56 min: Barcelona ping it around in a fairly pointless fashion. Iniesta tries to inject some pace by attempting to break into the Atletico area down the left, but Gabi steps in and quietly dispossesses his man before striding off with a whistle.

8.56pm BST

54 min: And now Atletico hit the bar. Fernandez, on the edge of the Barca D, heads into the mixer. Lucas Hernandez, 12 yards out and level with the right-hand post, loops a header over a flat-footed Ter Stegen and onto the crossbar! Again Barca clear, but their status as champions of Europe is hanging by a thread right now. They’re in tatters at the back, and doing next to nothing up front. Atletico have spooked them with their relentless pressing game.

8.54pm BST

53 min: Barca are all over the shop. Koke, out on the right, whips a low ball into the middle. Lucas Hernandez very nearly connects on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. He doesn’t though, and Barca clear in a panic.

8.52pm BST

50 min: Juanfran goes romping down the right, then slips a ball inside for Koke, who chases after it down the channel and into the area. He gets to the ball ahead of Ter Stegen, who has come out to claim but failed. Koke pulls the ball back into the middle. The keeper’s out of the game, but Pique hooks clear before the inrushing Carrasco can batter towards an unguarded net.

8.50pm BST

48 min: Barca are oozing discontent already. They win a corner. Pique tries some sort of shot from wide on the left. It would have looked wild on a rugby field.

8.48pm BST

47 min: Iniesta and Busquets look uncharacteristically confused as they allow Koke to latch onto a simple ball bouncing down the middle, and very nearly slip Griezmann away. Eventually Ter Stegen comes off his line to deal with the situation.

8.46pm BST

Below-par Barca get the ball rolling again. “What are the Champions League rules for emergency transfers?” wonders Charles Antaki. “Do Barcelona have time to get permission to fly in Wes Morgan, Danny Drinkwater and Jamie Vardy and save their season?”

8.34pm BST

Half-time entertainment: Here’s Atletico winning their first European trophy, the 1962 Cup Winners Cup, with a little help from Fiorentina and Italy keeper Enrico Albertosi, who drops one of the biggest clangers you’re ever likely to see, and would eight years later have four goals whipped past him in a World Cup final.

8.32pm BST

And that’s that for the half. Barcelona are on a very average run of form at the moment. If they don’t snap out of it in the next 45 minutes, they’re going out of Europe. Because Atletico have been in total control of this match, and on balance of play thoroughly deserve their lead. It’s been a fascinating first half; the second half promises to be just as intriguing. No flipping!

8.30pm BST

44 min: Carrasco goes on a long walk down the inside-left channel. Barca collectively opt to make no challenge. He reaches the edge of the area, and shoots straight at Ter Stegen, whose handling isn’t great. If Saul Niguez had kept up with play, he could have been sniffing around the rebound there. But he wasn’t, and the Barca keeper gets away with it.

8.29pm BST

42 min: Neymar is the best part of 30 yards out, down the inside-left channel. He tries to loop an up-and-down curler into the top right. It’s very nearly in, too, sailing on an absurd arc of Dimitri Payet proportions. But Oblak is a big man, and he’s not letting that past him. He springs up and collects well. Lovely effort out of nothing. It’s the best Barca have managed tonight. They really need to get their gamefaces on, because Atletico look in disciplined mood, even by their own high, stubborn standards.

8.26pm BST

39 min: Suarez and Godin race after a ball down the Barca left. Suarez sticks his leg round his Uruguayan team-mate in an effort to win the ball. It’s a foul, but there’s nothing in it. Godin performs a triple salchow with pike. But that wasn’t an awful challenge, a foul and nothing more. Godin eventually stops rolling around and Suarez apologises. His international team-mate makes out like he’s heard nothing. Not pals tonight.

8.23pm BST

This came out of nothing! Saul Niguez, on the right-hand corner of the Barca box, flicks a gorgeous cross towards Griezmann with the outside of his boot. The ball falls perfectly for Griezmann, and he powers an unstoppable header into the top right. Ter Stegen had no chance. Not right in the top corner, but powerful enough to give the keeper no chance. As things stand, the European champions are going out on away goals!

8.20pm BST

34 min: After a pause for general faffing, Messi steps up. One step, two step, flick! It sails over the bar, a grave disappointment. Maybe he should have taken a proper run-up and given it a good old-fashioned hoof. The official Guardian in-match !-O-Meter™ is suddenly up to 3, by the way.

8.18pm BST

32 min: Inietsta performs a fancy flick just outside the Atletico box, to the left of the D, maybe five yards back from it. Godin comes through him, tossing him into the air like an old sock. Diego Simeone doesn’t agree with the referee’s decision to award a free kick, but he’ll have to suck it up. This is in a very dangerous position, and here comes Messi!

8.17pm BST

29 min: Carrasco drops a shoulder and tries to go past Pique on the outside, just inside the Barca box on the right. It’s very nearly successful, because he turns Pique so skilfully the defender slips over. But his brilliance is his undoing. Pique falls on the ball as he turns, and manages to trap it with his inner thigh, before getting up and clearing. That was marvellous improvisation, especially as he managed to neither handle the ball, nor injure his nadgers. Atletico claim a penalty, but Pique went out of his way to pull his arm away there. Lovely initial skill from Carrasco, though.

8.13pm BST

27 min: Corner for Barcelona down the left. Neymar takes, and plonks it straight down Oblak’s throat. Neither keeper has had much to do yet.

8.12pm BST

25 min: Barcelona are enjoying more of the possession right now, much to the annoyance of the home support. But they lose the ball quickly enough every time they push into enemy territory. Atletico’s pressing game is highly effective. They swarm around Messi and Suarez as the pair try to combine down the right, and Koke races off upfield, eventually buying a free kick off Dani Alves. Pressure off. It’s an organisational masterclass.

8.08pm BST

23 min: Messi is near his own box on the Barca right, helping Dani Alves overcome Carrasco. It’s that sort of game right now.

8.07pm BST

20 min: This has turned into an attritional grind. Dani Alves tries to release Neymar down the left with a raking diagonal pass, but the striker is nudged out of the road. Carrasco makes a nuisance of himself just inside the Barca box on the right, but can’t get the ball from under his feet, falls over, and makes a half-arsed claim for a penalty. But his heart’s not really in it.

8.04pm BST

17 min: Neymar goes on a skitter down the left, but he eventually loses control of the ball, and then almost loses his teeth as Godin gives him a very light but very cheeky nudge towards the advertising hoardings as the pair leave the confines of the pitch. Neymar puts the brake on just in time.

8.03pm BST

15 min: Nothing much happening right now. Just as Barca like it. Atletico are the ones who need to score: as things stand, the champions are going through 2-1 on aggregate. And the home side’s early fire has been doused a little. But the fans keep on keeping on. This really is a belting atmosphere, European and Spainsh football at its best. “It is difficult to do justice to the fevered atmosphere at the Calderon in an MBM,” writes Andy Gordon, “although the Madrid newspaper Marca’s reportage has already got through 24 exclamation marks.” Is that counting the inverted ones at the front? Either way, that’s a decent effort! [Official Guardian in-match !-O-Meter™: 1]

8.00pm BST

12 min: Barca take the sting out of things with a bit of sterile possession in the midfield. The home fans aren’t letting up. But the European champions haven’t looked totally certain at the back, so they could do with taking stock awhile.

7.56pm BST

9 min: Atletico have started very brightly. Carrasco is sent scampering down the right flank twice in the space of 90 seconds. First time round, he blooters a cross-cum-shot behind for a goal kick. His second sortie sees him fizz a low centre straight through the box, with Griezmann - who had played the initial pass - struggling to keep up. The ball flies out the other side. In between, Mascherano, of all people, had a dig from distance for Barca, but his shot was closed down the second it left his boot. This is already a lot of fun.

7.54pm BST

7 min: Filipe Luis has a bit of space on the left. Time to look up for Griezmann in the centre. And he finds him, on the penalty spot. Griezmann flashes a header goalwards, but again Atletico’s effort is straight at Ter Stegen. Griezmann was in an awful lot of space there, though a wee bit too far out: he would have needed to wind his neck back in the Suarez style to generate enough power to trouble the keeper with that one.

7.52pm BST

5 min: Carrasco cuts in from the left but his attempt at a curler from 25 yards wafts harmlessly into Ter Stegen’s arms. The atmosphere really is cracking. Barcelona are getting the bird every single time they kick the ball. Suarez is being singled out for extra-special treatment, which is just how he likes it. Mind how you go, Atletico fans.

7.50pm BST

3 min: Juanfran goes on a sortie down the right, and hits low towards the near post. The ball’s only half hacked clear by Pique. Gabi, charging into the box down the inside-right channel, meets the loose ball and has a first time shot. I think he was looking for the top-left corner, but his effort at a rising, diagonal strike flies miles over the bar. It wasn’t the easiest of chances, but still, he should probably have at least got that on target.

7.48pm BST

2 min: Some early Barcelona possession, Messi sashaying down the right but forced eventually into touch, and the home fans continue with the loud whistling. Maybe they should rename the Vicente Calderon after Roger Whittaker. A gag for the pop kids there.

7.46pm BST

The match ball has “Final Milano 2016” written on it. Which is a bit previous. Anyway, it’s rolling. And it’s the home heroes who set it in motion. A stunning atmosphere at the Vicente Calderon. Hardly a surprise. Here’s to a cracker. A long kick by Oblak, and a bit of scrappy head tennis in the midfield. Give it time.

7.43pm BST

The teams are out! The official Uefa ear-bleeder is parping apologetically from the stadium stereo. To the credit of every fan present, it’s getting drowned out by whistles, and with some feeling. Both teams, like last week, have been forced into their away kits by Uefa for some reason or other. Are their first kits that alike? Maybe it’s for the benefit of those still watching in black and white. I can’t be the only one still watching in black and white. Thanks, Uefa!

7.01pm BST

The only change made to either team from the first leg is an enforced one. Atlético striker Fernando Torres, sent off at Camp Nou, is on the naughty step, so in comes Augusto Fernandez to put himself about instead. Barcelona meanwhile go with the time-honoured policy of If It Ain’t Broke... and name the same starting XI that emerged victorious last week.

7.01pm BST

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.

11.16am BST

Atlético Madrid welcome Barcelona to the Vicente Calderón, where the big question will tonight be answered: do Diego Simeone’s team have the Champions League holders’ number in Europe? Atlético have already put them out of the Champions League once, at this quarter-final stage two years ago. And there’s a fair chance they’d have done for them again at Camp Nou last week, had Fernando Torres not lost his mind and turned into a Sergio Busquets tribute act, or had Luis Suarez received his marching orders for booting Juanfran up the jacksie with perfect silent-movie comic timing.

Atlético left Catalunya fuming. For the neutral, though, this is set up perfectly. Simeone’s side need a win tonight, and their home record is superlative: they’ve lost just two of their last 28 European games on friendly soil, winning 23 of them. History is in their favour all right. They’ve won just over half - 11 from 20 - of European ties in which they lost the away first leg. That total includes five aggregate wins from six ties when the first game ended 1-2. Watch out, Barça!

Related: Golden Goal: Ken McNaught for Aston Villa v Barcelona (1982 Super Cup) | Paul Doyle

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The Forgotten Story of … the 1966 Masters | Scott Murray

How Jack Nicklaus overcame grief at the death of a friend and inconsistency on the course to become the first man to win back-to-back Green Jackets.

Arnold Palmer wasn’t particularly happy with his short game. There were only a couple of days to go before the start of the 30th Masters Tournament, and he was already struggling to make his wedges and putter talk on glacial greens which were only going to get faster once the Augusta greenkeeper took one last wheel around the place on his mower.

Related: Masters 2016: the five Ps that can win the Green Jacket at Augusta

The final day’s play, like much of what had gone before, would not be of the highest quality. But it sure was exciting

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Bayern Munich 1-0 Benfica: Champions League quarter-final, first leg, as it happened

Bayern couldn’t build on Arturo Vidal’s second-minute strike, as Benfica weathered an early storm to stay competitive in this quarter-final tie.

9.41pm BST

And that’s that! Bayern scored early and threatened to steamroller Benfica. But the Portuguese giants grew into the game, held firm, and are right in this tie at the halfway point. In fact, they passed up a couple of great chances to grab a precious away goal, but they’ll be happy enough to have limited Bayern to their one-goal home victory. The home fans aren’t as content, though, and you get the impression they won’t be that unhappy to see the back of Pep Guardiola. The second leg in Lisbon promises to be a cracker.

9.39pm BST

90 min +4: Eliseu takes a good 30 seconds over a different throw. Professionalism at its finest.

9.38pm BST

90 min +3: Ribery, in a tight position on the left, screws a cross-cum-shot across the face of goal and out of play on the right. Benfica don’t bother rushing to take the throw.

9.37pm BST

90 min +2: Benfica are giving Bayern the high, hard press. It’s all very scrappy in the midfield, just as the visitors like it. The clock keeps ticking.

9.36pm BST

90 min +1: Samaris comes on for Pizzi. The next four minutes are so crucial to the balance of this quarter final. Benfica will be pretty happy with their evening’s work. So far.

9.35pm BST

90 min: There will be five added minutes. Five!

9.35pm BST

89 min: Lahm and Gotze combine marvellously down the inside-right channel, opening up a bit of space. Then Vidal slides a diagonal pass towards Lewandowski, on the left of the Benfica D. He’s free on goal! Instead of shooting, he rolls the ball across for Lahm, who has kept on keeping on. But the pass is woefully overcooked, and Lahm can’t meet it. What a nonsense!

9.31pm BST

87 min: Lahm powers down the right before slipping a ball forward for Coman, who loops long, looking for Lewandowski at the far post. The ball sails harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.

9.30pm BST

85 min: Muller is replaced by 2014’s Mario Gotze.

9.29pm BST

84 min: Corner for Bayern on the right. Vidal whips it onto Lewandowski’s head. The striker batters his header over the bar from 12 yards.

9.28pm BST

82 min: Salvio comes on for Jonas. Coman breaks down the left and feeds Lewandowski, who twists and turns but can’t get a shot away. The whistles are getting louder.

9.27pm BST

81 min: Lewandowski intercepts a weak Lindelof clearing header, and sparks an intense period of Bayern pressure. First Thiago nearly breaks into the box down the inside-left channel. Then Ribery cuts in from the left and shoots low, straight at Ederson. Then finally Bernat tries to force the ball down the inside-left channel to release Lewandowski, but the striker is caught offside, and cops the flak from the home support. Which is a bit off, seeing he set the whole thing rolling in the first place.

9.24pm BST

79 min: Ribery and Muller zip down the left wing together. They’re on the same flank, but not the same mental wavelength, because the former manages to catch the latter offside with the simplest of passes. A few whistles from the crowd.

9.22pm BST

78 min: Coman hugs the right-hand touchline and nears the corner flag, before hoicking a cross out of play on the left. That pretty much sums up Bayern’s second-half performance. The home fans don’t sound particularly made up.

9.20pm BST

75 min: It’s gone scrappy again. Benfica will be happy enough with this.

9.19pm BST

73 min: Ribery tries to inject a bit of energy into Bayern’s performance. He tears down the left, reaches the byline, and pulls one back for Lewandowski, whose attempted flick from the left-hand corner of the six-yard area is weak and straight at Ederson. Bayern were rampant for the first 20-25 minutes of this match. They’ve not been anywhere near as good since. On the touchline, Pep Guardiola has his hands in his pockets, like everything’s fine and dandy. Which it still is, but only just.

9.17pm BST

72 min: Jonas strides down the inside-left channel and is impeded by Vidal. Free kick, 40 yards out. The ball’s floated into the area. Bayern don’t deal with it. First Gaitan takes a fresh-air swipe, then Lindelof, haring in at the far post, misses completely as well. Farcical. Bayern are playing a dangerous game here.

9.15pm BST

70 min: Both sides make a change. Douglas Costa is replaced by Kingsley Coman for Bayern, while the visitors trade Mitroglou for Raul Jimenez.

9.15pm BST

69 min: Corner for Bayern down the left. It’s sent all the way back to Lahm, 35 yards out. Lahm hoicks it into the mixer, in the 1980s English style. Jardel heads clear. Pep Guardiola, ladies and gentlemen!

9.13pm BST

67 min: Ribery rips down the left wing, lays off to Muller, who rolls a pass back to Thiago. The inventive Thiago gently floats a pass towards Vidal on the penalty spot. Vidal turns, and creams a riser straight at Ederson. The keeper tips over, and it turns out Vidal was offside anyway. But what a pass by Thiago! A lovely player.

9.10pm BST

64 min: What an absurd miss! Andre Almedia beats Ribery to the ball down the right, and makes off into the Bayern box. His low cross finds Jonas, free, ten yards out. He blooters his shot straight into the chest of Javi Martinez, claims a penalty, then slashes a second effort over the bar from close range. Actually, that’s two absurd misses, isn’t it. Benfica should be level. Bayern have fallen right off the pace. The home side aren’t very happy, though the away fans are making an almighty racket. Marvellous.

9.07pm BST

62 min: Lewandowski powers in from the left and threatens to break past Lindelof, who drags the striker down and is booked. All in the centre of the field, so the resulting free kick comes to nothing.

9.05pm BST

60 min: Bayern make the first change of the evening: Javi Martinez comes on for young Kimmich.

9.04pm BST

59 min: It’s been a bad couple of minutes for Jonas. He picks up a yellow for standing on Vidal’s ankle, so he’s suspended for the second leg. Actually, it’s swings and roundabouts, that, because it was a nasty looking challenge. He’s lucky not to see red. So at least he’ll see out the rest of this match. If he behaves.

9.04pm BST

9.03pm BST

57 min: Renato Sanches, cutting in from the left, chips delicately forward towards Jonas on the edge of the Bayern box. He flicks the ball round the corner, and past Alaba, for himself. He’s one on one with Neuer! But shoots straight at the keeper. What a chance to grab an away goal! Bayern go straight up the other end and nearly makes it two, Bernat gliding down the inside-left channel and sending a low diagonal shot inches wide of the right-hand post.

9.00pm BST

54 min: The busy Bernat makes space for himself down the left and scoops a cross towards Lewandowski, who can’t get a header away. The ball breaks to Douglas Costa on the right-hand corner of the box. He cuts inside and looks for the top left. But only succeeds in battering the ball straight into poor Jardel’s coupon. Jardel stands tall for a second, before collapsing backwards like a felled tree. He’s OK after a dab with the magic sponge, but there were cartoon birds circling his head for a few seconds there.

8.57pm BST

52 min: More Bayern possession. Douglas Costa and Lahm seeing an awful lot of the ball. But not doing a whole load with it. Benfica are holding their shape well now, and looking comfortable enough.

8.55pm BST

50 min: Muller, 25 yards out, plays a cute ball down the middle of the park to release Lewandowski into the Benfica box. The striker shoots straight at Ederson, and he was offside anyway. But Bayern are starting this half strongly.

8.54pm BST

48 min: ... the ball drops to Vidal, to the right of the D. He attempts to shoot goalwards, but screws a comically awful shot away to his left, the ball landing with snooker-style check side on the left-hand corner of the box and away.

8.52pm BST

47 min: A slow start to the second period. Bayern seeing the lion’s share of possession, though it’s all in their own half. But then suddenly they launch it long down the left, Ribery winning a throw deep in Benfica territory. He takes it quickly towards Bernat, who fires low and hard towards Lewandowski at the near post. It’s bundled out for a corner. From which ...

8.49pm BST

No changes. The hosts get the second half underway.

8.36pm BST

Half-time entertainment: The last time Benfica won a European pot, courtesy of British Pathé, which kind of dates it.

8.35pm BST

A long Benfica throw from the left. Mitroglou attempts to lash one home from the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. It’s deflected back to Gaitan, whose drive from the penalty spot is blocked by a sliding Vidal. And that’s that for the first half. Benfica will be happy enough, having conceded so early. They looked in real trouble for a while, but held on and gained confidence towards the end of the half. Second 45 should be a cracker. No flipping! Though having said that, Barca are losing at home!

8.33pm BST

45 min: Douglas Costa wrestles Renato Sanches to the floor from behind, a pointless scuffle. Perhaps that was clumsy rather than malicious. No yellow, though the young Benfica midfielder falls on the ball and winds himself. He’ll be OK.

8.29pm BST

44 min: This half is petering out a little. Fair’s fair, the two teams have put on a decent enough show so far. They deserve a rest.

8.27pm BST

42 min: Pizzi nutmegs Bernat down the right, and strides off down the flank. He’s dragged down by a livid, embarrassed Bernat, and that’s Bayern’s second yellow card of the evening.

8.26pm BST

40 min: Douglas Costa turns it on down the right and loops one to the far side of the box, where Ribery attempts to Mark Hughes a bicycle kick goalwards. Nope!

8.25pm BST

38 min: It’s been an entertaining, free-flowing half of football. Pizzi, out on the right, swings long towards Mitroglou on the left-hand corner of the Bayern D. Mitroglou heads down for Gaitan, who is nudged off the ball by Lahm. Benfica want a free kick, but the referee says no. Almost certainly correctly, to be fair.

8.23pm BST

36 min: So having said that, here comes another one, and it’s nearly a second for Bayern. Muller wanders down the right, seemingly with all the time in the world to curl a cross onto Vidal’s head. Which is exactly what he does, Vidal on the penalty spot. But the goalscorer heads straight down, sending the ball bouncing up and over the crossbar when it was surely easier to plant one into the net, either side of the static Ederson. (It probably wasn’t easier, was it. But you know what I mean.)

8.21pm BST

35 min: In fairness to Benfica, they’ve held firm since going behind early, after which it looked for a while like Bayern would sweep them aside. They’ve only seen 39% of the ball, but have restricted the hosts to a couple of chances.

8.18pm BST

33 min: After an awful lot of faffing, Thiago takes the free kick, chipping it gently over the wall and sending it dropping towards Muller, who has run around the left of the wall and down the left channel. He’s about to blooter home, but Ederson has read it well and comes off his line to smother. That was very nearly the most delicious assist by Thiago. Exquisite.

8.17pm BST

31 min: Ribery nips in from the left with trouble on his mind. He’s about to let rip towards goal when Fejsa comes across and clatters him to the floor. That’ll be a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the left of the Benfica D.

8.16pm BST

29 min: Yes, they’re growing into this game all right. Gaitan is sent scampering into space down the left and enters the Bayern box. The home side are light in the middle, with Mitroglou waiting for a cross, but the low ball that’s delivered hits the hand of Lahm as he slides in to block. Gaitan hops around in the manic fashion, claiming the spot kick, but Lahm was right next to his opponent at the time, and his arm made no move towards the ball. That’d have been a harsh one. Gaitan composes himself and shifts the ball back to Renato Sanches, who scores three rugby points from 30 yards.

8.13pm BST

27 min: Benfica finally spend some time passing it around in the Bayern half. Gaitan has a look down the left; Andre Almeida has a little probe down the right. Both players deliver crosses that are easily cleared, but this is an improvement from the away side.

8.11pm BST

25 min: Bayern spend some time stroking it around the middle of the park, just because they can. A good couple of minutes for Benfica, in the sense that there’s no danger to their goal. But still.

8.08pm BST

23 min: Ribery is booked for standing on Andre Almeida’s foot in the midfield. He was late and clumsy, and can have no complaints. From the free kick, Pizzi strides into the Bayern box down the inside-right channel and fires low into the centre. Vidal stretches his leg out to concede a corner. The set piece is punched clear with great force by Neuer.

8.07pm BST

8.06pm BST

20 min: Thiago, to the left of the Benfica D, pitching wedges a glorious diagonal ball towards Muller, level with the right-hand post, ten yards out. Muller meets the dropping ball on the full, sidefooting powerfully towards the bottom right. Ederson parries brilliantly. Stunning play all round.

8.05pm BST

19 min: This is a bit better from Benfica, though. Andre Almeida makes a bit of space for himself down the right and, from a deep position, hoicks high into the Bayern box. Mitroglou rises, but he’s on the edge of the area, and though he connects well, can only send his header harmlessly wide left from distance.

8.04pm BST

18 min: Bayern knock it around the back awhile. Eventually the ball’s looped down the right wing for Douglas Costa to chase. Eliseu shepherds the ball out of play, though if the pitch was a yard or so longer the winger had the beating of him. Right now, it’s a matter of when Bayern score again, not if.

8.02pm BST

16 min: Douglas Costa feeds Lahm down the right on the overlap. Lahm fires low towards the near post, where Lewandowski challenges Ederson for the ball on the corner of the six-yard box. The keeper bravely keeps hold of the ball, and takes a whack on his hand for his trouble.

8.00pm BST

14 min: Vidal, out on the right, swings a diagonal pass left for Ribery, who with chalk on his boots brings the ball back inside and looks for the top right from a daft distance. It’s high and wide, but if that had gone in you’d have seen it again once or twice, so hats off for ambition. You can’t create great art without going out there.

7.58pm BST

12 min: A corner for Bayern down the right. Douglas Costa and Lahm exchange quick passes. The former swings high into the box. Ederson claims. This is absurdly one-sided. Benfica may well regret not keeping up with Mitroglou in the second minute and committing men forward into the Bayern box. It’s been a mess from their point of view ever since.

7.56pm BST

10 min: Douglas Costa tears down the inside-right channel and fizzes a low shot towards the bottom right from 25 yards. It’s fierce, but gathered confidently by Ederson. Just as well, because Lewandowski - this is how he rolls - was lurking, waiting to tap in any fumbles. “Vidal so soon?” Niall Mullen, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the lager.

7.54pm BST

8 min: Benfica are panicking a bit. Ribery is causing all manner of havoc down this left wing. He nearly finds Lewandowski in the centre with a sweeping cross, then runs at Andre Almeida with extreme prejudice. Lindelof steps in to put a stop to his gallop, but the visitors can’t keep carrying on like this, or they’ll be out of this quarter-final tie before the half-hour.

7.52pm BST

5 min: Ribery again jigs about down the left, and very nearly manages to swing another cross into the danger zone. Not quite. He settles for a corner, which is easily cleared. This game is preposterously open. What happened to gentle probing in European ties?

7.50pm BST

4 min: Jonas flicks a ball down the middle of the park to release Mitroglou free on goal. Bayern were pushing up ludicrously high, but got away with that one, just. The flag goes up for offside.

7.48pm BST

A strange enough start, though. Mitroglou prances down the Benfica right and fires a low cross into the Bayern box. It’s a decent delivery, but there’s nobody there to take a shot on goal. Bayern clear, and Ribery dances down the left again. He feeds Lewandowski on his inside, who in turn shuttles the ball on to Bernat down the channel. Bernat stands one up to the far post, and Vidal heads home into the right-hand portion of the net with the greatest of ease from six yards!

7.46pm BST

Benfica get the ball rolling. They lose the ball within five seconds, then concede a foul within ten. All in the centre circle, so it doesn’t amount to much, though it’s not the most auspicious start for the visitors. Ribery probes a bit down the left, but goes nowhere.

7.44pm BST

The teams are out! Bayern Munich are in their beautiful first-choice red, their evocative shirts positively screaming Gerd Muller. Benfica are therefore forced into their change strip of white. Never mind, it’s a classic aesthetic too. Pure pleasure. A cracking atmosphere in the stadium, despite the official Uefa anthem being parped out of the PA at a ludicrous volume. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.17pm BST

Bayern, coming off the back of a couple of narrow Bundesliga victories over Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt, make three changes to the side that started the 1-0 victory over the latter on Saturday. Out go Javi Martinez, Xabi Alonso and Mario Gotze; in come Joshua Kimmich, Arturo Vidal and Douglas Costa.

Benfica, meanwhile, have won their last eight matches in all competitions. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. They name the same XI who started the 5-1 tonking of Braga last Friday.

7.13pm BST

Bayern Munich: Neuer, Lahm, Kimmich, Alaba, Bernat, Vidal, Douglas Costa, Muller, Thiago, Ribery, Lewandowski.
Subs: Ulreich, Javi Martinez, Rafinha, Alonso, Gotze, Rode, Coman.

Benfica: Ederson, Andre Almeida, Lindelof, Jardel, Eliseu, Pizzi, Fejsa, Sanches, Gaitan, Jonas, Mitroglou.
Subs: Paulo Lopes, Lopez, Samaris, Jimenez, Salvio, Anderson Talisca, Semedo.

3.51pm BST

Well isn’t this a pretty picture for Bayern Munich? Benfica! Bavaria’s finest have been drawn against the Portuguese giants three times in European competition. And on each and every occasion, they’ve gone on to at least reach the final of whichever pot they were playing for at the time.

First up, the 1975/76 European Champion Clubs Cup. The clubs were paired in the quarter finals, and played out a goalless draw at the

Stadium of Light
Estádio da Luz before Gerd Müller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge got amongst the goals in a 5-1 Bayern victory in Munich. The Germans went on to the final, where they defeated Saint-Étienne in Glasgow thanks to Franz Roth’s goal and Hampden Park’s square posts.

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