ATLETICO MADRID missed a penalty and hit the bar AFTER full-time to crash out of the Champions League in the group stages.
The 2021 LaLiga champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Bayer Leverkusen.
Goals on Atletico’s side from Yannick Carrasco and Rodrigo De Paul cancelled out Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
And as five minutes of added time expired, after a fruitless Atletico onslaught, referee Clement Turpin blew his whistle.
Atletico players surrounded him claiming a handball but unimpressed, the French official continued to make his way off the Wanda Metropolitano pitch.
That was until he got a message from VAR, instructing him to check the pitchside monitor.
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And after some deliberation Turpin called the players back to present Atletico with a golden chance to keep their Champions League hopes alive right at the death.
With the clock now on almost 99 minutes, Carrasco stepped up in front on an expectant crowd.
Nerves got the better of the Belgian as Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky saved it to his left.
But the drama wasn’t over as Saul ran on to a completely free header from the rebound.
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The ex-Chelsea midfielder somehow hit the bar.
The ball then flew to Reinildo Mandava who had another chance Atletico’s hero.
But his effort flicked off the heel of luckless Carrasco and flew wide.
Fans watched on stunned as Atleti’s players dropped to their knees, and out of the tournament with a game to go.
The draw left Diego Simeone’s side trailing second place Porto, who they face in the final group game by four points.
A third placed finish would see Atletico drop down into the Europa League, a competition they won a number of years ago against Marseille.
However, that spot is far from a guarantee with opponents Leverkusen trailing by a point.
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Club Brugge top the group, reaching the knockout stages of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since the 70s.
They could, however, be pipped to top spot by Porto on the final game.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
