Hard work is certainly not a uniquely British trait, but anyone who wants to see what ‘British football values’ triumph in Cardiff on 3 June must be praying for an Atletico Madrid triumph. Here in Leicester tonight they knocked out the Premier League champions by doing everything they do but better. The 2-1 margin of their win does not do full justice to their two legs of superiority.

Our national football psyche has long made its peace with being out-played and out-thought by talented foreigners. That happened here but more, as Atletico ran, tackled, blocked and pressed their way to a 1-1 draw under immense second half pressure. Leicester threw everything they had at Atletico but it was not enough and in truth it never felt like it would be.

It was only this version of Atletico’s second big trip to England but it was just as impressive and almost as important as their first one. Back in April 2014, before they had even won La Liga, they went to Stamford Bridge to play Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in the semi-final second leg, after drawing 0-0 at home. They dismantled Chelsea, a masterclass in smelling blood and then pouncing, to win 3-1. Afterwards in the press conference Diego Simeone thanked his players’ mothers, for giving birth to sons with huevos big enough to play for him.

Three years on this Atletico team is even further advanced down the Simeone road, a testament to his values and conviction. This is Simeone’s fifth full season as a Atletico coach and, in a football world where nothing has the chance to take root, that counts for a lot. For Leicester this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, a night to be treasured for the rest of their careers. For Atletico this was their fourth straight season in the quarter-finals. They know what it takes now, and if it looks uncomfortable for them at times they are even more uncomfortable to play against.

Here they had to work desperately hard to make it through and there were times during the second half Leicester siege where almost any other team would have wilted under the pressure and the momentum that Leicester had behind them. They had to suffer, scramble and put their bodies on their line, just as Simeone himself always used to. But they did, as they always do, and now they are back in the semi-finals.

Filipe Luis said after the first leg that Atletico would have to be “defensively perfect” in the second leg if they were to go through. In the first half here they were, following Simeone’s plans to the letter. They defended ferociously as a team, and not just Diego Godin and Stefan Savic, good as they were at centre-back, and Jose Gimenez, drafted into midfield.



Manchester United are prepared to pay more than £100million for Antoine Griezmann this summer for his goals, sharpness and penalty box instincts. And yet here he was not just the first but often one of the last lines of defence for a team where everyone is prepared to get his hands dirty. Griezmann was snapping into tackles and blocks on the edge of his own penalty area, once crucially on Jamie Vardy, surging at goal, just before the break. After half-time he even cleared one cross from his own penalty area with an overhead kick. It was the ultimate example of sacrifice, an individual subsuming himself for the group.

That might sound like a minor point, but Diego Godin said before the game that Atletico train every day to focus on the “one thousand tiny details” that decide these games. All of the Atletico players defended, and it was the fatal failure of the Leicester wingers Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton to stop Filipe Luis’ cross or Saul Niguez’s run that gave Atletico their decisive away goal.

That goal ultimately killed the game, even if there were times in the second half when it did feel very much alive. Atletico suffered, as they always do in these big games, especially when Juanfran went off and their re-adjusted back four struggled to handle the new aerial threat of Leonardo Ulloa.

Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Kasper Schmeichel - 6 out of 10 Pipped at his far post for Saul’s sublime header. Confident as always between the sticks and assertive under the high ball. Made a number of key saves. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Danny Simpson - 6 Hard-working but simply lacked the quality and composure for the big occasion. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Wes Morgan - 7 A captain’s performance. Considering Morgan was returning from a seven-game absence, the defender acquitted himself excellently. Physical as ever and put in some crucial challenges and interceptions. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Yohan Benalouane - 6 Nervy at times but still impressed with an occasional big challenge. Having been absent from Leicester’s backline all season long, he’s more than paid his dues these last couple of weeks. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Christan Fuchs - 6 Unafraid to push on and linked up well with Albrighton ahead of him. Struggled at times in his battle with Saul. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Riyad Mahrez - 6 Clever in his decision-making and passes. Grew into the game, with his mazy runs and silky feet proving a challenge for the experience Atletico backline. Still unable to recreate the magic of last season though. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Wilfred Ndidi - 7 A future star in the making. The 20-year-old showed all the qualities of a great midfielder tonight. Excellent in his break-up play, assured in his passing and demonstrated a knack to show up in the right places at the right time. Leicester will do well to hold onto him for next season. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Danny Drinkwater - 6 Tried to force too many balls over the top. Looked a bit overwhelmed at times but persisted nonetheless. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Marc Albrighton - 6 Tenacious and lively down the left flank. Linked up well with Fuchs and his inside men. Found space for a testing delivery here and there. Lost sight of Saul, though, for Atletico’s goal. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Shinji Okazaki - 7 A tireless performance from the Japanese. Complimented Vardy well, sitting just off the shoulder from the forward. Made the right movements and confident in dropping back in search of the ball. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Jamie Vardy - 7 Gave as good as he got all game long. Chased every single ball and relentless in his press. Took his goal very well to give Leicester hope. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Jan Oblak - 6 Did the basics well tonight and stepped up to the mark as he was increasingly called upon as the game wore on. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Juanfran - 7 Started well but was forced off through injury. Unbalanced Atletico after that. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Stefan Savić - 7 Won the majority of his challenges, both on the deck and in the air. Looked confident with the ball at feet too. A completely different defender from the one who played for Manchester City. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Diego Godín - 7 His experience shone through. Led the backline with maturity and composure. Enjoyed his challenges with Vardy all game long. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Filipe Luis - 7 It was his cross for the first goal. Up and down all game long. Very energetic. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Saúl Ñíguez - 7 Took his header excellently to put Atletico ahead. Proved to be a real nuisance and seemed to get the better of Fuchs whenever he pushed forward. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Gabi - 7 Got a lot of help from Gimenez but such a professional in that central role. So experienced. Never looked out of his comfort zone. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings José Giménez - 7 Threatened with a number of direct runs that pushed the Leicester backline to the edge. Linked up well with Gabi. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Koke - 6 Kept the Atletico Madrid midfield ticking over all game long and got stuck in defensively to keep Leicester from finding a second. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Yannick Carrasco - 6 Not so dangerous in his running and his delivery was off at points. Unusual for him to feature up front. Nothing stand-out from his performance tonight. Leicester 1 Atletico 1 player ratings Antoine Griezmann - 7 Provided a constant source of threat for the visitors but also more than happy to track back and help out his side defensively. A rounded performance that reaffirms why he’s one of Europe’s most-sought after players.

But Atletico have been playing this way for years and they have beaten better teams than Leicester City playing like this. They know that they do not need the ball to win once they are ahead. They know they can survive almost anything in the second half of a second leg, because they trust each other and they trust their plans. Last season, remember, they held off Barcelona in the quarter-finals and then the full blast of Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena to win the semis.