Atletico Madrid 1-0 Leicester - BBC Sport
Leicester keep Atletico Madrid within reach as they restrict the hosts to one goal in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Last updated on .From the section Football

Leicester City kept Atletico Madrid within reach as they restricted the dominant Spaniards to a single goal in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Koke had already hit the visitors' post in the first half when the referee judged Marc Albrighton's foul on Antoine Griezmann had been inside the penalty area.

Replays showed contact was made outside the box but Griezmann duly stepped up to send Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way.

Fernando Torres slipped as the goal beckoned in the second half but, that chance apart, Atletico struggled to carve out clear-cut openings against a stubborn Leicester defence.

Robert Huth - who will be banned for the second leg after being booked - saw a shot blocked and Shinji Okazaki narrowly failed to make contact with a low cross in the best of Leicester's rare raids forward.
• None Relive the action at the Vicente Calderon

Despite giving up 68% of possession and failing to register a shot on target, Leicester will take heart from their previous encounter with La Liga opposition.

They were similarly dominated by Sevilla in the first leg of their last-16 tie, but turned round the visitors' 2-1 lead on a tumultuous night at the King Power Stadium.

Having reached the final in two of the last three years, however, Atletico are a team of greater pedigree and expectations than their compatriots.

With the meanest defence in La Liga and Griezmann poised to counter, Atletico are also ideally suited to withstand whatever atmosphere the Foxes fans whip up next Tuesday.

The technical quality of Atletico's players was matched by a shrewd tactical plan from manager Diego Simeone that sought out the space Leicester tried to deny them.

Griezmann - reputedly a summer target for Manchester United - popped up between the lines, with midfield anchorman Wilfred Ndidi and the two centre-backs uncertain who was best placed to pick him up.

It was the France international's more obvious quality that earned Atletico the opener as his searing pace spread panic in the Leicester defence and Albrighton bundled him over.

Referee Jonas Eriksson pointed to the spot despite Leicester's protests and Schmeichel could not produce a third penalty save after his two in the tie against Sevilla.

Almost as important might be the yellow card that Huth received in attempting to contain Griezmann.

The German will be suspended for the second leg and, with captain Wes Morgan not yet back from injury, boss Craig Shakespeare will have to make do and mend in the centre of defence on the biggest night in the club's history.

While the Leicester fans high in the Vicente Calderon weighed up whether they were satisfied with the way the tie was poised at its halfway point, some might have taken time to reflect on the heights the team have scaled in just a few short years.

Eight years ago almost to the day - 11 April 2009 - their team travelled to the less illustrious surroundings of Hereford's Edgar Street ground in League One.

Midfielder Andy King, who played that day in Hereford and came on in the second half in Madrid, is the only Foxes player who connects the two wildly contrasting eras.

Former Manchester United, Everton and England defender Phil Neville on BBC Radio 5 live:

It was an outstanding result. Craig Shakespeare would have taken that before tonight .

Leicester have defended really well and limited Atletico Madrid to shots from distance. It was just a horrendous penalty decision that has cost them the game.

We have no monitor and no television replays and I knew straight away that Marc Albrighton's challenge was outside the box. We must be about 80 yards away from the incident. The referee was right on top of it. It was a diabolical decision.

I didn't expect that sort of defensive concentration from them. I feared the worst after their 4-2 defeat by Everton on Sunday. I keep thinking that the Leicester fairytale can't continue, but the fans here believe.

What I will say however, is that Atletico might prefer playing Leicester at the King Power where they will be forced to come out and attack.
• None Atletico Madrid have won 17 of their 22 Champions League home games under Diego Simeone, with the Spanish club unbeaten in the knockout stages.
• None Leicester have lost on each of their three European trips to Madrid, with Atletico still unbeaten at home against English sides (winning six, drawing five).
• None The Madrid club have progressed in six of their last eight European cup ties against English opposition.
• None Atletico Madrid have also kept a clean sheet in 16 of their last 18 Champions League games at the Calderón.
• None Antoine Griezmann has been directly involved in 10 goals in his last nine Champions League appearances at the Calderon (eight goals, two assists).
• None Attempt blocked. Koke (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Antoine Griezmann.
• None Attempt missed. Ángel Correa (Atlético de Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Filipe Luis. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page