Spanish media hails Atletico's advance to Champions League final

Argentine coach Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid dominated the headlines in the Spanish media on Wednesday after its victory over Bayern Munich and qualification for the Champions League football final.

"This Atleti Is Legendary," the AS newspaper's front page headline said, adding that "(Antoine) Griezmann's Score Buries a Trauma That Lasted 41 years," reports Efe.

"Atletico goalkeeper (Jan) Oblak Was Decisive: He Stopped a Penalty Kick and Almost Everything that Bayern Threw at Him," the paper added. "Had It Been Easy, Atletico Would Not Have Achieved It."

Oblak had to make several more saves, including one in stoppage time, to ensure Atletico would get another chance to win Europe's top club competition for the first time.

"To Milan!" proclaimed the headline on EL Mundo Deportivo's front page along with a photo of Atletico players celebrating their ticket to the final.

"Atleti Erased the 1974 KO, Leaving Bayern Behind on the Road to Its Second Final in Three years," the story said. "Griezmann and Oblak Decide an Epic Duel with Two Botched Penalty Kicks by (Thomas) Muller and (Fernando) Torres."

The Marca newspaper's front-page headline read, "You Are Incredible!".

"Soccer Is Like That," was the headline of Sport newspaper accompanying a photo of an overjoyed Atletico coach Simeone and a gloomy Pep Guardiola of Bayern.

The final of the Champions League is on May 28. It will feature Atletico Madrid against either Manchester City or Real Madrid. Real Madrid vanquished their hometown rivals two years ago to win their record 10th Champions League trophy.

--IANS

sam/bg