Atletico Madrid 1 Arsenal 0
Diego Costa 45+2
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Desire.
That’s what George used to call it. Some call it appetite, others say it’s hunger or passion.
George Graham wanted to see desire every day.
He once told me how dismayed he was when Paul Merson lost it in his second season, after winning the league in his first.
When Costa scored that goal, I thought of George.
Atletico did not have the midfield fluency I expected. But we saw their core values expressed when they pounced on that loose ball like a pack of wolves. Full concentration. maximum ferocity, total focus, killer pass, lethal finish.
Bang! Game over.
Arsenal had been the better team for 46 minutes, despite the early loss of Koscielny with an achilles injury, but Atletico seized that moment superbly : win the ball, switch it rapidly to runners, bury the chance.
That was the whole semi-final right there in that moment.
One priceless goal scored in 1 minute and 57 seconds of first half stoppage time.
Keeper Jan Oblak booted the ball deep into the Arsenal half and Chambers, without Koscielny alongside him, decided to head the ball forward and it went to deputy right back Thomas, who jabbed the ball on the half-volley to send it swiftly forward down the right flank where Griezmann, coming infield on his stronger left foot, allowed the ball to hit him on the hip, then switched his pass across the field to where Diego Costa was arrowing into the penalty area. It’s a perfect pass for a left-footed centre forward and Costa took a sublime touch, then held off Bellerin with a strong right arm.
As keeper Ospina was about to move, Costa delayed his shot fractionally, then hit the ball high into the back of the net.
Although I watched the rest of the action, I thought it was over.
Atletico know how to defend and I’d pointed out how astoundingly good they are at defending inside their six-yard box.
One philosophy had defeated a different philosophy. Simeone’s pragmatic style had beaten Wenger’s artistic phootball 2-1 on aggregate.
In their first European semi-final for nine years, Arsenal were toothless and the worst player on the pitch was Bellerin. Will Juventus want to buy Bellerin now? He’s been rubbish for weeks and was shocking again last night.
In The Times today Gary Jacob’s Player Ratings for both teams are alongside Henry Winter’s match report.
Gary gives eight Arsenal players 5 and Bellerin 3.
The rest you know.
Marseilles will play Atletico Madrid in the final in Lyon.
That final is on Wednesday May 16 with a 7.45pm kick-off.