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Casillas: Oblak decided the Madrid derby - not the referee
By Mark Doyle
Apr 15, 2015 00:06:00
The Real Madrid captain was full of praise for the Atletico shot-stopper, feeling the Slovenian had a bigger bearing on the game than the under-fire Serbian match official
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas felt that Atletico Madrid counterpart Jan Oblak was the most influential figure in Tuesday's 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon - and not referee Milorad Mazic.
The home side were less than impressed with Mazic's handling of the all-Spanish Champions League quarter-final first leg, with a bloodied Mario Mandzukic accusing Sergio Ramos of deliberating elbowing him in the face early in the second half.
Mario Suarez claimed afterwards that the Serbian official should not have been awarded such a high-profile game but Casillas that Oblak had a bigger impact on the game, with the Atleti goalkeeper having made a number of terrific saves during the opening 45 minutes.
"Mario said that the referee was really bad? I don't know. I think he was good. I don't think he was the main protagonist," the Madrid captain told TVE.
"I thought Oblak was the best player in the first half. We deserved more from the game then, but he was fantastic."
Casillas now believes that Oblak's first-half heroics have left the tie beautifully balanced ahead of next week's second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"The tie is open," the Spain international added. "Very open. The return will be a nice game.
"But we have a good chance to go through. Hopefully, playing at home can help us win."
Carlo Ancelotti's side had several good chances in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final but failed to convert them
Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueno rued the wastefulness of his former club following their 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Carlo Ancelotti's side are yet to overcome their city rivals in seven attempts this term, despite creating several clear chances in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Vicente Calderon.
They have the chance to go through to the semi-finals in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu next week but the 51-year-old was left disappointed with the wastefulness of the team.
"We had a brilliant first half," he is quoted as saying by AS.
"But we did not obtain the result we wanted because [Atletico goalkeeper Jan] Oblak was great. The second half was more even and creating chances took it out of us.
"We have wasted a good opportunity because we weren't able to cash in on our first 45 minutes.
"We came with the idea to score and to win but now we're playing in our stadium and the support of our fans is fundemental.
"We're at home and we have to win. We are the champions and we want to defend our title."
Serbian referee Milorad Mazic has come in for criticism during the clash following several incidents with Atleti forward Mario Mandzukic but Butragueno was keen to play down the officials' importance.
"We normally don't talk about referees," he added. "These are intense games."
Real Madrid host Malaga on Saturday prior to the second leg of the Champions League clash on April 22
Luis Enrique: PSG can beat Barcelona without Ibrahimovic
By Mark Doyle
Apr 14, 2015 18:20:48
The Catalans' coach is anticipating goals galore in the French capital, even though the home side's top scorer will miss the game through suspension
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique does not believe that the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic will hinder Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday's Champions League showdown at the Parc des Prince, pointing out that the Ligue 1 titleholders have already proven that they can beat the Catalans without their star striker.
The two sides were drawn in the same group and PSG defeated Barca 3-2 in the French capital only to ultimately miss out on a top seeding for the knockout stage after being beaten 3-1 in their return clash at Camp Nou.
Luis Enrique thus believes it foolish to read too much into the fact that PSG will be without the suspended Ibrahimovic and a number of injured players for their quarter-final, first-leg clash.
"Paris have several major absentees but let's not forget that they won against us when Zlatan was out, and we won when we met and he played," the Barca coach told reporters on Tuesday.
"So, one never knows the importance of absentees. We had a good game in September, although we lost - we had many chances.
"But we will definitely need to improve defensively. They have a very good squad, and they showed yet again their qualities by beating Chelsea [in the last 16]."
Indeed, Luis Enrique is expecting goals in both legs, arguing that both sides are stronger in attack than they are at the back.
"I think this tie will be open because our teams are actually quite similar," the former Spain international added.
"Paris can build from the back, play on the counter... there are many threats from this team.
"This should be an entertaining match. I think we will see a lot of goals, but of course I hope we score more than Paris!
"This won't be easy of course, as we've had many difficulties against them recently."
The Porto coach wants his players to use "ambition and imagination" to cause a Champions League quarter-final shock
Julen Lopetegui does not think Porto will benefit from Bayern Munich's lengthy injury list in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash at the Dragao.
German champions Bayern are favourites to progress at Porto's expense having once again dominated domestically this season, as well as impressing in Europe.
However, the Bundesliga champions were only able to put three outfield players on the bench in Saturday's win over Eintracht Frankfurt, with the likes of Arjen Robben, David Alaba, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger all currently sidelined with injuries.
Lopetegui believes Pep Guardiola still has an incredible amount of talent available to him but is hopeful his team - who are unbeaten in Europe this season - can cause an upset.
"Ambition and imagination are two words we have in mind," he told reporters. "I'd like to remind everyone that we didn't win a ticket to this competition - we had to earn it through the play-offs.
"We are here, proud and happy to be playing among the best teams in Europe at this stage of the Champions League.
"We want to be the best performers tomorrow while maintaining respect for our opponents. We are talking about one of the best Bayern sides in the club's history.
"Bayern have injuries but will still have seven or eight world champions on the pitch. We don't care about the players they don't have. We have to focus on the ones that will play."
Guardiola has paid tribute to the style of football employed by Lopetegui and the 48-year-old returned to the compliment to his former Barcelona team-mate.
"I feel the same way Guardiola does about facing me," he added. "There is a lot of respect between us.
"Bayern want possession and usually they get it. We have to take good care of the ball, use it perfectly. We have to be great in attack and defence."
Lopetegui has been boosted by the return of top scorer Jackson Martinez, who has been named in Porto's 20-man squad for Wednesday's first leg.
The Barcelona forward has been in prolific form in the last three months, though the PSG coach is wary of just concentrating on nullifying the Argentine
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has described Lionel Messi as "unstoppable" ahead of Wednesday's Champions League tussle with Barcelona.
The Argentine forward has been in incredible form in 2015 and has scored 45 goals in 44 games so far this season to propel the Catalan club to the top of La Liga and into the final of the Copa del Rey.
Messi scored in both clashes with PSG last year, although Blanc is wary of putting all of his defensive eggs in one basket when there are also the likes of Luis Suarez and Neymar to worry about.
"Lionel Messi is unstoppable," the former Manchester United defender told reporters. "If he scores 40 goals, he's had a bad season!
"But we can't just focus on him. The solution must be collective, man marking doesn't work.
"We will need to be aggressive defensively but in the good sense of the term, to be able to stop their attackers."
The coach also piled praise on PSG forward Javier Pastore, who was described by France legend Eric Cantona as better than Messi or Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday.
"Pastore has huge potential and is becoming an important player for us," he said of the Argentine. "He has matured enormously in the last six months."
PSG will be hoping they can replicate their win over Luis Enrique's side at Parc des Princes in the Champions League group stage in Wednesday's tie, with the return leg at Camp Nou to be played six days later.
Bayern can't be complacent against Porto, says Guardiola
By Miles Chambers
Apr 14, 2015 13:23:02
The says that the injury-ravaged Bavarians cannot afford to take anything for granted against the Portuguese, who are unbeaten in Europe this season
Pep Guardiola has warned Bayern Munich that they must not be complacent and allow Porto to get the upper hand in their Champions League quarter-final.
Porto, unlike Bayern, are unbeaten in the Champions League this season and reached the last eight by smashing Basel 5-1 on aggregate in the previous round.
Ahead of Wednesday's first leg, Guardiola stressed that his injury-ravaged Bavarians must not allow the Portuguese's pressing to get the better of them if they want to reach the semi-finals for the fourth time in five seasons.
"We're here with these players and will give it our best shot," the Catalan coach told reporters, alluding to the absence of a number of key men through injury.
"We can't turn up in just one game if we want to progress, we need to do it in both games.
"They are not a counter-attacking team; they will also want to control the game. They like to press their opponents high."
Porto boss Julen Lopetegui is a former team-mate of Guardiola's, with the two having spent time at Barcelona together during their playing days, and the Bayern coach is delighted to be facing his compatriot.
"Lopetegui and I are lucky to be here, coaching big teams like Porto and Bayern," the Spaniard added. "When I was younger, I never envisaged it.
"We I both love that we are in this situation. It is an honour for me and I congratulate him already for Porto's great performances.
"Porto haven't lost a game in the Champions League yet this season and I'm happy to be facing Julen."
Bayern will host Porto at the Allianz Arena next Tuesday to decide which of the European heavyweights will reach the last four of the Champions League.
The Monaco boss claimed that Ricardo Carvalho's foul should not have led to a penalty, while he vowed his side will get a better result in the home leg
Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim has slammed Tuesday's Champions League loss at Juventus as "a great injustice", claiming that the penalty that decided the quarter-final first leg in the home side's favour should not have been given.
The Ligue 1 outfit looked a constant threat on the break during the game in Turin but were undone by a 57th-minute spot-kick from Arturo Vidal, who fired home after Ricardo Carvalho had been ruled to have felled Alvaro Morata in the box.
However, Jardim was enraged by the decision, insisting that the contact had been made outside of the area.
"The result is a great injustice," the Portuguese coach told reporters in his post-game press conference. "The penalty should not have been given.
"We dominated the first 20 minutes of the first half and first 20 minutes of the second half. We showed we're an organised, good team and we created big problems for Juventus.
"But we failed to take our chances, particularly early in the game. We lacked efficiency. I'm disappointed but everything is still possible and we believe in what we're doing.
"We did a lot of good things during the game and this result does not reflect the game. We came here to get a better result but we'll do it in the second leg."
Monaco, who eliminated Arsenal in the last 16, host Juve at the Stade Louis II on April 22.
Porto 3-1 Bayern Munich: Dominant hosts down Pep's men
Apr 15, 2015 21:35:00
Ricardo Quaresma and Jackson Martinez scored for the home side but Thiago was able to grab a vital away goal for the visitors
Porto took advantage of a host of defensive errors to stun Bayern Munich and prevail 3-1 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Bayern came into Wednesday's clash at the Estadio do Dragao as favourites, but a trio of mistakes at the back leaves them with a huge task at the Allianz Arena next week.
In a dramatic start to proceedings, Ricardo Quaresma took full advantage of two glaring errors from Bayern in the opening 10 minutes, first converting from the penalty spot after Jackson Martinez had dispossessed Xabi Alonso and then been felled by Manuel Neuer inside the box.
Quaresma then robbed Dante and produced a calm finish to double his tally and leave visiting coach Pep Guardiola standing aghast on the touchline.
Bayern, missing the likes of Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben, got themselves back into the tie shortly before the half-hour when Thiago Alcantara scored his first goal since February 2014 with a close-range finish.
But Jerome Boateng's second-half lapse in judgement afforded Martinez - back after over a month out with a groin problem - the opportunity to net his seventh Champions League goal of the campaign, leaving Bayern facing an uphill challenge in the second leg.
Porto took the lead in the third minute after Martinez robbed Alonso on the edge of the area and then went down under Neuer's sliding challenge.
The goalkeeper was booked despite appearing to get a touch on the ball and Quaresma sent him the wrong way from the spot.
Robert Lewandowski headed over as Bayern almost found an equaliser, only for another defensive slip in the 10th minute to allow Porto in for their second.
Dante miscontrolled to leave Quaresma with a free run on goal and he coolly slotted past Neuer with the outside of his right boot.
A stunned Bayern slowly regained their composure and, after a period of sustained pressure, got their reward in the 28th minute when Thiago converted Boateng's low cross at the back post.
Neuer almost suffered further embarrassment six minutes later when he fumbled Alex Sandro's cross onto the crossbar, before gathering at the second attempt.
The Germany keeper excelled himself 12 minutes into the second half, though, producing a superb reaction save to keep out Boateng's deflection from close range.
But there was little he could do in the 65th minute as Boateng misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing Martinez to control, round Neuer and slot home.
Porto held on to their two-goal advantage in the final stages in a performance that was only soured by cautions for Sandro and Danilo, ruling them out of next Tuesday's return leg.
Bayern, meanwhile, will hope to have at least Schweinsteiger and Ribery back for that fixture as they aim to overturn the deficit following their first defeat on Portuguese soil.
Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Barcelona: Suarez and Neymar give visitors the advantage
Apr 15, 2015 21:37:00
Luis Enrique's men take three away goals back to Camp Nou thanks to the Brazilian and Uruguayan attackers
A quickfire brace from Luis Suarez put Barcelona on course for the Champions League semi-finals as they claimed a comfortable 3-1 first-leg advantage in their quarter-final meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.
After Neymar's 18th-minute strike had given the Catalan giants an important away goal at the Parc des Princes, Suarez scored twice in 12 minutes in the second half to help Barca put one foot in the last four.
Having nutmegged substitute David Luiz, the Uruguayan held off Marquinhos and Maxwell to nudge home his first, before outfoxing Luiz again en route to a beautifully-finished strike.
That set the seal on the result and put Barca on the verge of a seventh European semi-final in eight seasons, with Gregory van der Wiel's deflected strike eight minutes from time doing little to offer Laurent Blanc's side hope.
Having fallen behind early on, the French champions were also hit by the injury-enforced withdrawal of captain Thiago Silva - and that loss was keenly felt.
His absence added to the omissions of energetic midfielder Marco Verratti and talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic - both serving one-match bans - and the hosts now face an uphill battle in the return leg next Tuesday.
Following a low-key start, Barca - for whom Dani Alves was suspended - gradually got into their groove and went ahead when Lionel Messi struck Salvatore Sirigu's right-hand post with a curled strike 13 minutes in.
The visitors' persistence was eventually rewarded when Neymar opened the scoring five minutes later - Sergio Busquets dispossessing Adrien Rabiot and allowing Messi an opportunity to craft a perfect throughball.
Neymar made no mistake with his finish and PSG were dealt a double blow in the aftermath of the goal, as captain Silva was forced off to be replaced by Luiz.
Javier Mascherano - one of three Barca changes from the weekend Liga draw with Sevilla - produced a last-ditch tackle to deny Edinson Cavani a sight on goal as Blanc's men enjoyed their first spell of sustained pressure.
Despite ending the half strongly, PSG almost fell further behind prior to the break when Suarez dispossessed Luiz, only to shoot tamely at Sirigu.
That momentum continued into the second half as long-range strikes from Javier Pastore and Rabiot caused problems Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
However, Suarez took the game beyond PSG with a sublime first after 67 minutes, as he showed skill and strength to beat three markers and prod past Sirigu - registering Barca's 400th Champions League goal.
Suarez cleverly evaded Luiz again and made it three soon afterwards with the only blow to their night coming when Jeremy Mathieu diverted Van der Wiel's strike past Ter Stegen with time running out.
Mathieu made amends with a timely block from Cavani's strike before the end, helping maintain Barca's two-goal lead ahead of the second leg at Camp Nou.
The defender has backed his side to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League despite losing the first leg 3-1
Philipp Lahm insists Bayern Munich still have “every chance” of reaching the Champions League semi-finals despite Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Porto.
Ricardo Quaresma scored twice while Jackson Martinez added a third as the Portuguese side registered a notable first-leg victory, with Thiago Alcantara netting a crucial away goal for Pep Guardiola's men.
Lahm, though, was full of belief in his side after the match and was happy with the team's reaction after going 2-0 down after just 10 minutes.
“We could have lived with losing 2-1, whereas 3-1 is not good. But we still have every chance in the second leg,” Lahm told Sky.
“The team showed the right reaction after we went two goals down in less than 10 minutes, making it 2-1. To lose 3-1 is bitter, but it is still doable.
“This is the Champions League quarter-finals away from home! We reacted well.
“In the second leg we have to play our game. We must have plenty of possession, create chances and convert them. We got the away goal so it is definitely possible.”
The second leg of the tie takes place at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, April 21.
Suarez calls for repeat performance after Barcelona crush PSG
By Jon Fisher
Apr 15, 2015 22:37:00
The Uruguayan was instrumental in the Catalans' win over Laurent Blanc's men but insists the job is not yet done
After helping Barcelona beat Paris-Saint Germain 3-1 on Wednesday, Luis Suarez believes a repeat performance at Camp Nou in the second leg is required to secure a place in the Champions League semi-finals.
PSG were given the runaround by Suarez who scored twice at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday as Barca secured a first-leg advantage in their last-eight tie, with Gregory van der Wiel grabbing a late consolation for the hosts with a shot which deflected in off Jeremy Mathieu.
Barca's advantage looks virtually insurmountable for Laurent Blanc's side but Suarez is adamant there is still work to do.
He told Sky Sports: "We knew it was an important game and we know we've had a really good result but in football you never know. We have 90 minutes next week and we need to play the same as we did today.
"We knew before the game that if we did not concentrate we couldn't win the game. When you play against the big teams you need concentration."
Suarez's brace came after Neymar had given Luis Enrique's men a half-time lead against a side missing talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and key midfielder Marco Verratti through suspension.
"I don't think we should underestimate the tactical job we did," Suarez added to Canal+. "Physically we ran a lot and they were affected by the absence of some key players.
"Me, Neymar and Lionel Messi can switch positions during the game and we needed to take advantage of the space their defenders were leaving."
Barca welcome PSG to Camp Nou on Tuesday April 21.
The Dutchman admitted the defeat was a "really bad result" and refused to blame the numerous absences his side had to deal with
Gregory van der Wiel has lamented Paris Saint-Germain’s defensive efforts as they suffered a 3-1 first-leg Champions League quarter-final defeat to Barcelona at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
Neymar put the visitors in command in the first half before a double from Luis Suarez pushed Luis Enrique’s side towards the final four. Van der Wiel replied with a deflected shot but despite the late rally, PSG face a seemingly impossible task at Camp Nou when they meet again on Tuesday.
“We had to be better defensively, we let them score too easily,” he told Canal+. “They have scored three goals away from home. We are very disappointed – it’s a really bad result.”
PSG went into the match handicapped by the absence of several regulars from their starting XI, including the suspended duo of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti, but the right-back refused to use that as an excuse.
“Did we have too many players missing? No, I don’t think so,” he added.
The French champions also lost their lead at the summit of Ligue 1 on Wednesday evening as Lyon leapfrogged them with a 2-0 home win over Bastia.
If PSG are to progress in Europe, they will need to score at least three times at Camp Nou on April 21.
Guardiola: Bayern punished for sloppy start against Porto
Apr 15, 2015 22:50:00
The Spaniard had no arguments with the result after admitting his side were second best against Porto
Pep Guardiola lamented Bayern Munich’s slow start after his side were beaten 3-1 by Porto on Wednesday.
The Bundesliga leaders were 2-0 down inside 10 minutes of their Champions League quarter-final first leg tie after two defensive blunders. The first saw Jackson Martinez dispossess Xabi Alonso before being hauled down inside the area by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Ricardo Quaresma converted the spot-kick and then doubled his tally soon after after robbing Dante and finishing coolly.
It was a nightmare opening spell for Guardiola who went into the game without injured quartet Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, David Alaba and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
“We were 2-0 down so early and when that happens it is never easy,” said the former Barcelona boss.
Bayern pulled one back when Thiago Alcantara scored his first goal from open play since February 2014 with a close-range finish.
But Jerome Boateng's second-half lapse in judgement afforded Martinez - back after over a month out with a groin problem - the opportunity to net his seventh Champions League goal of the campaign and leave Bayern with an uphill challenge in the second leg.
Guardiola added: “After we scored, we controlled the match. But if you add everything up, Porto were the better team. 3-1 is a difficult result for the return leg. But we will try everything."
The French champions' challenge started to go downhill when Thiago Silva was forced off injured, the coach has said
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc admitted that he used David Luiz in Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Barcelona, despite the defender not being short.
The former Chelsea man sustained a hamstring injury that was expected to keep him out for a month in the win over Marseille only 10 days ago, yet made a shock appearance in the PSG squad to face the Catalans. When Thiago Silva was injured after only 20 minutes, the Brazil international was called off the bench.
He endured a difficult match and struggled to contain Luis Suarez as the Uruguayan scored two second-half goals to leave the French champions a mountain to climb in the second leg, but Blanc has eased the pressure on a player who has often attracted criticism.
“The injury to Thiago Silva was the start of our problems. We had to replace him with a player who was not 100 per cent fit,” Blanc admitted.
The coach went into the game without a number of starting players available, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti, but refused to contemplate another outcome had they played.
“We can’t think what might have happened had other players been there,” the coach said. “I don’t want to talk about the absent players, but it's bad when your gameplan is based around possession and you can’t get the ball.
“I have some regrets about some chances we had. We weren’t sufficiently effective on the counterattack.”
Wednesday’s was PSG’s first European home defeat in 33 games when Hapoel Tel Aviv won at Parc des Princes in 2006.
The Brazilian defender was the subject of a scathing attack by the ex-England coach after his performance in PSG's loss to Barcelona
Former England coach Glenn Hoddle has slammed David Luiz after his display in Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona, likening the Brazilian to “an eight-year-old who hasn’t been coached.”
The centre-back came on as a first-half substitute for injured compatriot Thiago Silva with his side already trailing 1-0, but was twice nutmegged by Luis Suarez’s as the Uruguayan netted two to put Barca 3-0 up late in the game.
And Hoddle, working as a pundit for Sky Sports in the UK, claimed the €50 million signing from Chelsea should have done much better regardless of the fact he was not fully fit going into the game.
“Even if you’re not 100 per cent fit you can’t show that lack of intent,” said the 57-year-old.
“He is the last man on the pitch when Suarez picks up the ball and starts running at him. He realises he is the last man and the very last thing you should do when you’re the last man is jump in. You bide time for your team to get around you.
“Instead he does what an eight-year-old who hasn’t been coached does: he tries to win it by putting both of his feet together. But when he does that he can’t move anywhere. Suarez nutmegs him again.”
The 27-year-old was PSG’s hero in the previous round, heading the extra-time equaliser which saw them qualify for the quarter-finals at Chelsea’s expense.
But his form defensively has been questioned on many occasions, and Hoddle added that he has never been convinced by David Luiz.
“For me he is a liability at the back, and he always has been. You have to find a place for him in midfield or even at right-back,” he continued.
“He’s a footballer who likes to play in the playground when there is no shape to the game. He is a talent but that’s not what top football is about.”
The Bayern Munich legend was unhappy with the overall performance against Porto but reserved his harshest words for the Brazil defender
Franz Beckenbauer singled out Dante for criticism after a “black night” for Bayern Munich against Porto, accusing the defender of appearing to play in ski boots.
The World Cup winner did not hold back in a withering assessment of Pep Guardiola’s side, who went down 3-1 at Estadio do Dragao in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
Two early Ricardo Quaresma goals – the first from the penalty spot – after some calamitous defending set the tone and, although Thiago Alcantara pulled one back, another blunder allowed Jackson Martinez to complete Bayern’s misery.
Beckenbauer told Sky: “I have not seen a single Bayern player who showed his normal form. It was a black night. Sometimes this happens and it happened tonight.
“When you have a keeper playing badly or a defender playing badly that is not unusual. But in this match they all ‘worked together’ to achieve this result.”
Quaresma’s second came after he dispossessed Dante before running on to finish past Manuel Neuer. It was not the first time the Brazil international has been guilty of lax defending this season and Beckenbauer was not impressed.
“If he was from Iceland or the North Pole, I’d say ‘okay, he is still wearing his ski boots’. But no, he simply has to stop the ball.”
Atletico under investigation over Ronaldo pitch invader
By Harry West
Apr 16, 2015 00:57:17
Uefa is investigating the Spanish champions after a supporter escaped stewards to reach the forward after Tuesday's Champions League clash
Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Atletico Madrid after a supporter was able to man-handle Cristiano Ronaldo following Tuesday's Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
The Spanish champions held their city rivals to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at the Vicente Calderon, but their security operation was questioned after a fan escaped stewards to enter the field of play after the final whistle.
The man reached the side of the pitch and grabbed at the shirt of Ronaldo, who embraced the supporter before security guards arrived to lead the intruder away.
A Uefa statement on Wednesday confirmed the opening of proceedings, adding that Atletico will also be investigated for their "insufficient organisation" in allowing stairways in the stands to be blocked.
The case will be dealt with by the Uefa Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on May 21.
Atletico will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu for next Wednesday's second leg knowing a score draw will be enough to take them through to the semi-finals.
Lopetegui delighted after Porto punish sloppy Bayern
Apr 15, 2015 23:22:00
The former Barcelona goalkeeper could not hide his delight at his team's first-leg display but knows the job is only half-done
Porto boss Julen Lopetegui hailed a “great” performance from his players as they took a giant stride towards the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 defeat of Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Ricardo Quaresma twice punished Bayern mistakes in the opening 10 minutes of the last-eight, first leg tie at the Estadio do Dragao as Porto took a commanding lead.
Bayern did claim an away goal through Thiago Alcantara shortly before the half-hour, but Jackson Martinez - returning from a thigh injury - took advantage of another defensive slip to restore the two-goal cushion midway through the second period.
"It [the second leg next week] will be a very difficult match, we are still half through this round, against one of the greatest teams in Bayern history," Lopetegui said.
"We were great tonight and I want to congratulate this group of players. This team has lots of ambition.
" The game in Munich will be different and we will not be able to count on two important players [the suspended Danilo and Alex Sandro], so we will have to find solutions for that problem.
"Playing against Bayern is always difficult, but we made a great start against the greatest team in the world in terms of possession.
"In the first half maybe we should have had the ball with us for longer, but we corrected that in the second half."
Two-goal hero Quaresma, meanwhile, was quick to shift the praise on to the rest of his team-mates.
"This is a night for me to remember, but more important than my performance was our victory," he said. "We knew we were facing a great team, with great players, so we have to be happy.
"We all work a lot and when we win, we all win. I only do my job, I am in a good moment and so is the team."
The Germany international took a swipe at the Portuguese club's tactics and felt his side's mistakes presented them with their best chances
By Peter Staunton at Estadio do Dragao
Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Muller says that Porto did a good job of "parking the bus" in their shock 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win over the Bavarians.
Julen Lopetegui's side stormed into a 2-0 lead at the Dragao thanks to two early goals from Ricardo Quaresma and, though Thiago Alcantara pulled one back, Jackson Martinez rounded off the win after the break.
Muller lamented his side's slow start to the game but was less than impressed with what he saw as a negative approach from the hosts.
"Everyone could see how we did not exactly start well," he said after the game.
"I think we did pretty well after going 2-0 down until half-time. We controlled the match, had some good moves and made it 2-1.
"We didn't give away any chances, except for a header after a free kick right before the break. At half-time we thought we could do better.
"Porto did a good job of parking the bus. What was disappointing is how we weren't able to keep the match calm. There were many fights and fouls in midfield.
"It was lively and that wasn't good for us. And the worst thing was conceding the third goal."
Despite the result, Thiago's strike means Bayern remain in the tie and Muller is still confident of turning the game around in the second leg at the Allianz Arena.
"We are still Bayern and we will play at home. Of course we cannot give away goals again. But it's not like we've never won at home before. We still believe but we're aware that we can't play like that again.
"This is football. If you make mistakes, it can cost you. And that happened today. We had a totally competitive team out on the pitch. But any match gets difficult when you conceded early goals like that.
"It wouldn't be a miracle if we win 2-0 at home. But there is certainly a lot of work to do and it won't be a piece of cake. We made it tough for ourselves with this result, but at least we got an away goal."
Bayern will seek to overturn their first-leg deficit at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday at 20:45CET.
