Atletico survive late scare to secure 1st-leg win over Dortmund
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Atletico Madrid earned a 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, surviving a late onslaught from the visitors.
Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino's first half goals gave Diego Simeone's side a commanding lead but Sebastien Haller pulled one back to give the German side a foothold in the tie ahead of next week's return in Dortmund.
Edin Terzic's side, fifth in the Bundesliga, improved greatly after a slow start and hit the woodwork twice in the final stages of a match which saw security measures reinforced after the Islamic State (IS) group made threats against stadiums used for last-eight ties.
Atletico Madrid had flown out of the traps, keen to grasp a golden opportunity to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2017.
"We took a little first step, we wanted to win at home," De Paul told Movistar.
"Here we are strong, the fans give us a boost, these nights are incredible -- you never know if they will be repeated, the truth is I am very happy.
"When you win, I always think it's positive because if not, you never enjoy anything."
Atletico might wish they had held on to their two-goal advantage, and despite not finding an equaliser, Dortmund captain Emre Can said his team were content with the result.
"On such a night, one can also go under... there were phases where they completely overpowered us in the duels," Can told DAZN.
"So, we'll take the 2-1 and everything is open for next week."
Dortmund could not cope with the Rojiblancos' high press in the opening stages and De Paul fired the hosts ahead in the fifth minute after Ian Maatsen gave the ball away.
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel passed the ball to the on-loan Chelsea defender, who panicked under pressure and played a slack pass which De Paul gleefully intercepted.
The Argentina international finished calmly to amp up the already loud Metropolitano stadium crowd.
Atletico have not lost any of their home Champions League knock-out games during Simeone's 12 years at the helm and continued to flood forward confidently.
Kobel clawed away a brilliant backheel flick by former Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel, a key part of Atletico's back-line after his move in 2022.
The only negative note from a fine Atletico first half was a booking Lino earned, ruling him out for the second leg.
A few minutes later the Brazilian doubled his team's lead after another Dortmund defensive mix-up.
Mats Hummels, on his 500th appearance for Dortmund, badly directed a header into Alvaro Morata's path and he and Antoine Griezmann combined to feed Lino, who slid a low effort past Kobel.
Terzic brought on Julian Brandt for Felix Nmecha at half-time in search of more attacking spark.
Foothold
Missing sick top goalscorer Donyell Malen the Bundesliga side struggled to find a way past Oblak, who saved from Niclas Fuellkrug early in a far tighter second half.
On-loan Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho began to get move involved for Dortmund, who pulled one back in the 81st minute, although not before Kobel made a stunning save to deny Lino his second.
Nahuel Molina made poor contact on a clearance and the ball fell to towering striker Haller who drove it beyond Oblak.
Despite the visitors finding a foothold in the game, Atletico held on by the skin of their teeth and Dortmund fell to their first away defeat in four months.
English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens's long-range drive deflected off Cesar Azpilicueta's head and hit the crossbar, while Brandt nodded off the woodwork in a frantic finale.
Simeone was able to celebrate his 50th Champions League victory as a coach, becoming the ninth man to achieve the feat.
One neither Simeone or Atletico have yet achieved is conquering the Champions League, but this win is a shaky step towards the semi-finals.