Atletico Madrid drew 1-1 with Leicester at the King Power Stadium, 2-1 on aggregate, to reach the last four of the Champions League and continue their march towards European glory.

Against an experienced and intelligent Atletico side, the Foxes' hopes of overturning their one-goal deficit were always to go be slim.

Leicester acquitted themselves with passion and that 'never-say-die' attitude which served them so well last but, on this occasion, it wasn't enough.

Saul Niguez's sublime header, coming in 26th minute, proved to be the difference and although Craig Shakespeare's men hit back through Jamie Vardy, victory always looked assured for the visitors.

Here's five things we learned...

Leicester bow out in style

And so, after 21 months of magic, the curtain finally closes on the Leicester City fairytale. 'Unbelievable' doesn't quite do justice to what this small club from the East Midlands have achieved. Against the hegemony of the Premier League's money men, the Foxes defied the odds to mark their place in the history books of English football. Eight years ago to the day the side clinched promotion into the Championship after beating Southend United 2-0 at Roots Hall. Today they bowed out in style against the quality and power of Atletico Madrid - one of Europe’s premium clubs. Dogged, electric and resilient to the end, the Foxes refused to roll over as they gave chase to the impossible. They exit Europe with their heads held high.

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.

Atletico’s experience shines through

On the occasion, Atletico’s experience and quality shone through. The visitors started the game more than happy to let Leicester push on in search of their breakthrough. Calm and composed, Simeone’s side set the tempo of the game - despite the Foxes’ surprising amount of possession. Although Leicester eventually found their goal through Vardy’s scrambled close-range effort, the victory was never in doubt. With 30 minutes to go, Leicester still needed two goals against a side with one of the best defences in Europe. Stefan Savić and Diego Godín excelled in their central defensive positions, winning their majority of challenges both in the air and on the deck. Atletico were certainly tested but their resilience ensured this was to be their night.

Stefan Savic and Jamie Vardy battle for the ball at the King Power (Getty)

Morgan digs deep to impress on his return

For Morgan, it was a respectable return to the game after a seven-game absence through back injury. It wasn’t the best of starts for the Leicester captain, however. An undercooked back-pass in the opening minutes forced Kasper Schmiechel into emergency measures, with the keeper outfoxing the high-pressing Antoine Griezmann to boot the ball clear. Such nerves were to be expected, but the Leicester captain soon settled in to game. In spite of his three-week lay-off, the 33-year-old remained as physical as ever. On the 10-minute mark, Morgan dispossessed Carrasco, who had built up speed and set a dangerous course for Leicester’s goal, with a well-timed challenge that set a precedent for the rest of his night. He impressed with a number of crucial tackles and interceptions and fought on till the bitter until injury forced him to depart.

Ndidi continues to make a name for himself

It was another assured performance from the 20-year-old (Getty)

A future star in the making. The 20-year-old showed all the qualities of a great midfielder tonight. Reliable in his break-up play, assured in his passing and demonstrated a knack to show up in the right places at the right time. Some of his attempted shots on goal may have been overly audacious but, given his age, such confidence will only serve him well in the years to come as he hones his trade. Leicester will do well to hold on to him next season.

Griezmann more than just an attacking threat

Griezmann put in a busy performance for the visitors (Getty)