Champions League: Chelsea set their stall out to stifle Atletico Madrid

Chelsea’s goalkeeper Petr Cech, centre, collides with Atletico Madrid’s Raul Garcia at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid. Sergio Perez / Reuters

Not for the first time in a Uefa Champions League semi-final in Spain, Chelsea used a formation so defensive that they will be accused of anti-football by purists who think the European Cup should showcase the game’s finest attacking talent.

The cautious Londoners reached the 2012 final after adopting similar tactics against Barcelona and, while Jose Mourinho has replaced Roberto di Matteo, the wily Portuguese coach will be satisfied with the goalless draw achieved by his team in last night’s first leg against Atletico Madrid.

Mourinho, overseeing his fifth successive semi-final appearance, will be pleased his side survived a second-half storm and can attack at home in the second leg to try to reach the Lisbon final next month.

Atletico may be among their critics, but the Spanish side eschewed finesse themselves when they last reached the semi-finals of arguably football’s greatest club competition 40 years ago.

Then, an Atletic side with a ruthless reputation travelled to Parkhead and caused such a ruckus that an official publication of Celtic, their opponents, wrote: “They rounded up together all the muggers from the alleyways of the Spanish capital and sent them over to Parkhead.”

Diego Simeone’s charges are not thugs for they possess many qualities, not least their ability to reach the last four with an annual wage bill of €64 million (Dh324.5m), far less than Real Madrid’s €246m, Bayern Munich’s €203m and Chelsea’s €201m.

Atletico are usually a team of industrious attacking intent with a settled line up, but Chelsea made it hard for them to showcase their talents on a night short of highlights in the Vicente Calderon.

David Villa and Tiago, the only Atletico players with Champions League semi-final experience were left on the bench, while Mourinho named his team with former Atleti hero Fernando Torres as his principal striker.

Unlike former Real Madrid manager Mourinho, Torres received a warm reception from the vibrant 54,000 sell-out crowd, but he touched the ball twice in the first half. It was a night for his defenders, not attackers.

Mourinho has had feisty moments in previous games against Atletico, including one altercation with Simeone’s assistant Mono Burgos who threatened to rip his head off.

But past aggressions did not stop the Chelsea manager from continually hollering into the fourth official’s ear in a first half most notable for the incessant boos of the home fans when Chelsea had possession and Chelsea’s Petr Cech leaving the field clutching his arm after a 14th-minute clash with Raul Garcia.

Striker Diego Costa busied himself too, barging into opponents in a manner that Mourinho would have secretly admired. That may change next season.

As the game wore on, Atletico pushed for a goal, with replacement goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer saving a deflected free kick from Gabi in the 72nd minute, but attacks from either side were rare.

An 84th-minute Costa header went over Schwarzer’s crossbar as Atleti sought to take advantage of their 69 per cent of possession and score from a succession of crosses, which were easily dealt with.

Atleti had energy without invention, Chelsea did what they set out to do. It ruined what had the potential to be an entertaining encounter.

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