Atletico Madrid was eliminated from Europe after losing to Porto with their 2-1 victory against Atletico Madrid, FC Porto won for the first time in six encounters with the Colchoneros, taking first place in Group B of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), and sending their opponents out of Europe before Christmas. Having not recorded a victory since the group stage, Atletico Madrid now faces the humiliation of being eliminated from the European competition. They are now focused on the fierce competition for one of the four UCL spots available in La Liga, two of which are already widely believed to be all but locked up by the powerhouse teams Real Madrid as well as Barcelona.
Before halftime, Atletico displayed some egregiously slow play. Rodrigo De Paul had the team’s best opportunity, but the Argentine’s feeble attempt only served to prolong Diogo Costa’s easy night in the Porto net. Zaidu Sanusi was substituted after eight minutes of the second half due to a forceful tackle by Savi, dealing a setback to the hosts. With 20 minutes remaining, Antoine Griezmann felt he had given his team some hope with a shot that finally displayed some Atletico venom, but Rodrigo De Paul was ruled to have fouled Galeno in the buildup. Simeone’s team appeared more determined despite the loss, but despite Iván Marcano’s injury-time own goal, they were unable to tie the score as Porto won their fourth straight UCL match to take first place in Group B. This remarkable turnaround came after Porto began the tournament with two losses back in September. Porto, which had already advanced to the round of 16, outperformed Club Brugge to win the group with 12 points, one point more than the Belgians, who also advanced. Atletico Madrid came in last place without even making it into the second-tier play-offs for the Europa League knockout stage.