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Yannick Carrasco missed a penalty, awarded by VAR after the final whistle was originally blown, as Atletico Madrid was taken out of the Champions League following a dramatic 2- 2 home draw with Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
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After Porto’s 4- 0 win over formerly-qualified Club Brugge, Atletico demanded three points to set up a winner- takes- all meeting in Portugal coming week.
But despite fighting back from before doubly, the La Liga club ever failed to find a victory and now face a battle with Leverkusen just for a Europa League place.
” The Champions League has been cruel to me,” said Atletico coach and manager Diego Simeone.
” We lost two finals( 2014 and 2016), one on penalties and another in the 93rd minute.
” But I am hard- headed and I’ll continue to try as long as I’ve the chance to qualify for the Champions League and also find the something we warrant.”
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen led doubly thanks to the goal from Moussa Diaby and Callum Hudson- Odoi.
But Carrasco’s first- half strike and Rodrigo de Paul’s equaliser gave Atletico 40 minutes to keep their Champions League movement alive.
In chaotic scenes, the players were called back onto the pitch after VAR spotted a handball from the final attack of the game.
But Carrasco’s spot- kick was saved by Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, Saul Niguez headed the answer off the bar and Reinildo Mandava’s following trouble was diverted down by a last- gutter block.
