Atlético Madrid 0-0

Independent:

Atletico Madrid 0 Chelsea 0
Defensive Blues hold firm, but injuries to Petr Cech and John Terry blight Champions League semi-final

Sam Wallace

When Jose Mourinho is pushed into the proverbial corner, hidebound by injuries and suspensions and with a place in the Champions League final at stake he tends towards the conservative. It is a trick that he does better than any other, with his densely-populated midfield, a relentless defence and a mentality that whatever happens, and however far his team have to retreat, they will not concede, no matter what.
Sometimes it can produce a beguiling spectacle of attack against defence and there were some moments at the hectic end of the game when that was the case. There were some admirable performances, not least from Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and Ashley Cole as both Petr Cech and then John Terry, another rock in the defence, went off with injury. If you like blocks and tackles and defensive header after defensive header then this was certainly your kind of game.
It should also be said that there was also much – the first half in particular – which was instantly forgettable. It was not until all but Fernando Torres in the Chelsea team were defending for their lives in the closing stages that the game matched the noise and atmosphere conjured up the home fans, and then only in patches.
At Stamford Bridge next Wednesday for the second leg, Chelsea will surely be without Cech who dislocated a shoulder in a collision with Raul Garcia in the 17th minute. Terry will also be missing with that ankle injury. Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel will be suspended. But as ever, one expects that Mourinho will have  a solution, one win from the third Champions League final of his career.
Back came the ghosts of Chelsea past for a game in which Mourinho did not want to a yield a yard without a fight. That old dog of war Mikel returned to the midfield, his first start since the FA Cup defeat to Manchester City. Ashley Cole came back into the starting XI for the first time since the win over Stoke in the same competition at the end of January. Torres was dispatched to lead the line alone, and alone he was for much of the game.
Petr Cech suffered an early injury and had to be substituted Petr Cech suffered an early injury and had to be substituted  This was a textbook Mourinho team designed to shut the opposition down, take the tie back to Stamford Bridge level where another cunning plan would be hatched to finish the job.
Given that Mourinho did not believe that he had the tools for the job at the end of August and with Eden Hazard injured, Branislav Ivanovic suspended and Oscar’s form wavering he doubtless feels even less optimistic now. He is marshalling his resources as he sees fit although none of it made for a classic first half.
Atletico would have to take a share of the blame too, although they had the better chances – which is not saying much. A header from Raul Garcia that cleared the bar on 30 minutes was the best of it. Azpilicueta threw himself in the way of a shot by Diego Costa before the break. They had more than 60 per cent of the possession before the half and more than 80 per cent of the best ideas as to what to do with it, but they barely tested either of Chelsea’s two goalkeepers.
Cech was led to the sideline on 17 minutes having landed awkwardly on his right elbow when Raul Garcia charged into him at a corner. Not that it was the Atletico man’s fault. He was helped on his way by David Luiz whose tactical shove increased the impact with Cech, who was signalling his unsuitability to go on within seconds of hitting the deck.
It meant more action for Mark Schwarzer, the 41-year-old Australian who was in the Fulham team that lost to Atletico in the 2010 Europa League final. After his parried shot against Sunderland on Saturday, that went straight to the feet of Connor Wickham, he had a more confident game.
At the other end, Thibaut Courtois, the third Chelsea goalkeeper to feature tonight, came and missed a corner from Lampard on 20 minutes that Cahill headed wide. In defence of the young Belgian, he was wrestled out of it by Mikel. He later came to pluck further corners out the air with the assurance that makes you wonder whether he should be doing Cech’s job next season.
As for Torres, there was precious little of the ball. One bad touch on 33 minutes from a Luiz free-kick meant that a potential half-chance eluded him. Cole was solid in spite of a very bad early studding from Raul Garcia that was worthy of a booking.
It got no better for Torres after the break when he was obliged to work in almost complete isolation save for one tackle and run from Cole which brought the ball forward like a missive from basecamp. Torres went off on an indulgent dribble that ended with a mediocre shot, and in the circumstances who could blame him?
Having fallen back deeper and deeper in the first half, Chelsea could only go in one direction. Their cause was not helped with around 20 minutes remaining when Terry, a mainstay of their performance, injured himself at a corner. It was a strange incident which involved him landing on Luiz’s foot and appearing to roll his ankle. Has there ever been a Chelsea game before where both Terry and Cech were obliged to go off with injury?
In his place came Andre Schurrle, triggering a reorganisation throughout the Chelsea team with the German taking Ramires’ place on the right side of what was effectively a five-man midfield. Ramires moved back alongside Mikel and Luiz retreated into Terry’s erstwhile position in the middle of defence.
There was little sympathy on offer for Terry given what the Atletico players regarded as tactics among their opponents to waste time. They were right, of course, although Terry and Cech were genuine casualties. There was also an extensive protest when Frank Lampard, already on a booking, was penalised for handling the ball and not given a second yellow card.
In the end, Atletico lacked the invention to break down Mourinho’s side who were whistled off as they left the pitch. Which is just the way this Chelsea team like it.

Atletico (4-4-2): Courtois; Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis; Garcia, Gabi, Suarez, Koke; Diego Costa, Diego Ribas.
Subs: Turan/Diego Ribas 60; Sosa/Mario Suarez 79, Garcia/Villa 86
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Mikel, Luiz, Lampard; Ramires, Torres, Willian.
Subs: Schwarzer/Cech 17, Schurrle/Terry 73, Ba/Willian 90
Booked: Atletico Gabi, Miranda Chelsea Lampard

Referee: J Eriksson (Sweden).
Man of the match: Cahill (Chelsea)

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Guardian:

Chelsea edge closer to final with stalemate at Atlético Madrid
Daniel Taylor at the Vicente Calderón

There is no point dressing it up as something it was not. At this level it is rare to see such a lack of vibrant football, or so many occasions when passes are misplaced and two sides play with so little penetration. The setting was wonderful, in one of Madrid's great venues, with the Almudena cathedral as the impressive backdrop. The din was as good as it gets in Spain. It is just a shame the two sides produced such a stodgy game for the size of the occasion.
Chelsea, however, will not be too concerned if this match is added to the long list of games that is used to knock José Mourinho's ploys of conservatism and, ultimately, it is proven to be a valuable result. Nobody should be greatly surprised by their spoiling tactics and there is something to be said, once again, for their competitive courage in the face of a number of difficulties.
Petr Cech's dislocated shoulder was a considerable setback and another followed in the second half when John Terry damaged an ankle. Yet Chelsea never wilted. Mark Schwarzer coped ably as Cech's replacement and the tie is poised nicely for the return leg, even if Chelsea's list of absentees probably means Atlético should still be regarded as marginally the favourites.
Chelsea are certainly short of personnel given that Frank Lampard and Mikel John Obi both picked up yellow cards to mean they will be suspended. Gabi, the Atlético midfielder, will also be banned because of a yellow card but it is clearly not ideal for Mourinho that he now has to rely on Schwarzer for the remainder of the season. At 41 years and 128 days, the former Middlesbrough and Fulham goalkeeper became the oldest player to figure in the Champions League, taking Edwin van der Sar's record.
The number-crunchers can also provide statistics that, in the history of the European Cup, show that the away side goes through after a 0-0 draw in the first leg in 67% of matches. What is clear is that it will need another performance of defensive expertise if Chelsea are to buck that trend.
The Vicente Calderón stadium might not have the same gravitas as the Bernabéu or Camp Nou, but the acoustics are better and Diego Simeone's team, sitting defiantly at the top of La Liga, had the backing of a passionate and partisan crowd. It was a kaleidoscope of colour, with huge banners tumbling down from the vertiginous stands, and the acclaim that Fernando Torres received on his homecoming made way for raw spite when the Frente Atlético turned their attentions to Mourinho.
Yet Chelsea have silenced opposition crowds in Barcelona, Munich and Istanbul in the past few years, and their system, flooding midfield and breaking only sporadically on the counter-attack, had turned down the volume here, too, by the end.
The style of play was designed to smother, with Torres often cutting an isolated figure, but Chelsea have great qualities of structure and organisation and they are entitled to play to their strengths, even if in doing so they made it a prosaic and disjointed match.
On nights like these they are not an entertaining team but, in mitigation, they were also missing Eden Hazard while Torres would not have played had Samuel Eto'o been fit. They might not satisfy the purists but these are the tactics, roughly speaking, that have Chelsea trying to reach their third European final in successive seasons.
Cech was hurt as he jumped to turn a corner over his crossbar and David Luiz's push sent Raúl Garcia clattering into the goalkeeper while he was in mid-air. The fall was thudding and spectacular and Cech quickly signalled that he was unable to continue, needing extensive treatment before being led off with a blanket around the shoulder.
Atlético must have been encouraged by the sight of Schwarzer in the opposition goal, but his handling was immaculate and there was no sign of nerves in the biggest match of his club career. Chelsea's defence also did a fine job of keeping out Spain's top team. Ashley Cole did not look like a man who has been marginalised so abruptly this season. A considerable bit of Terry's thou-shall-not-pass mentality has rubbed off on Gary Cahill, and César Azpilicueta rose to the occasion. His block, as Diego Costa was shaping to shoot, was typical of the way Chelsea set about the opening half.
What they did not possess was a cutting edge. They failed to manage a shot on target until Lampard's effort early in the second half, and Atlético's fans could be forgiven for wondering when, or where, Torres lost his sureness of touch. Willian and Ramires had the energy and pace to join him occasionally, but this is not a front three to terrorise opponents at this rarified level.
Torres put a shot straight into the arms of Thibaut Courtois but Chelsea did little otherwise to see if their on-loan goalkeeper might have been affected by the fuss surrounding his involvement. For their part Atlético, despite vastly superior possession statistics, did not pass the ball penetratingly enough to put Schwarzer in any real danger.

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Telegraph:

Atlético Madrid 0 Chelsea 0
By  Henry Winter

Once again, Chelsea happily parked the bus knowing it might lead to a journey in an open-top bus. This was ugly, defensive, resilient, disciplined and defiant football from Chelsea that takes them closer to the Champions League final. This was another reminder of Jose Mourinho’s knack of strangling the life out of opponents.
Love or loathe him, the sulky special one is the man with the game-plan.
Mourinho’s tactics were all about the result, about containment, about defending deep and en masse. Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole and Willian were all magnificent in thwarting a disappointing Atlético.
Mark Schwarzer proved the safest of hands after replacing Petr Cech, whose season is sadly over after he dislocated a shoulder.
Typical Chelsea. They absorbed these blows like a veteran heavyweight. Schwarzer, 41, did well on only his second Champions League appearance.
Chelsea then lost John Terry to an foot injury. David Luiz dropped back into defence and stood tall under last pressure. Terry will not play again this season unless the team reach the final in Lisbon. His kit will be well-prepared for such an eventuality.
So Chelsea travel to Liverpool on Sunday without their captain and without their keeper and possibly without their most creative player this season Eden Hazard, who did not even make the bench last night, while Ramires could be banned if the FA takes action today over his elbow on Sunderland’s Seb Larsson.
But Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah, both ineligible for Europe, will play at Anfield as will Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel, whose bookings in the Vicente Calderón rule them out of the second leg at the Bridge.
Chelsea will have Branislav Ivanovic back from suspension while Atlético’s captain, Gabi, was booked and is also banned from the second leg.
Even with all these new injuries and suspensions, Chelsea fans were in great mood by the end, dancing along en masse when the DJ played Pharrell Williams’ Happy.
They are used to these tight first-leg semi-finals; their last six have been: 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, 0-0, 1-0 and this 0-0. They just stand and admire the gutsy, intelligent displays, looking forward to more drama in the second leg.
This, though, was not pretty. Atlético made 428 passes at 75 per cent success rate while Chelsea managed only 175 at 55 per cent success rate. But Chelsea fans do not care; never mind the quality, feel the character. So they saluted their players passionately as they walked past towards the team coach, also singling out a couple of the Atlético players.
The Spanish side’s keeper, Thibaut Courtois, who is on loan from Chelsea, responded with a long wave to their chants of “Thibaut, Thibaut”. Atlético’s star striker also waved good-humouredly as Chelsea fans chorused: “Diego Costa, we’ll see you next year”.
Costa, who is valued at £32?million, actually disappointed last night, going the way of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani of big-name European players who failed to shine against Chelsea’s defence this season. Costa simply could not escape from Cahill or Terry until he hobbled off and then Luiz.
The first half was particularly sterile. Chelsea did not just set their stall out as tip it over and turn it into a barricade. Mourinho’s strop with the world appeared to have dissipated when he arrived at Vicente Calderón, judging by the merry way he went round all the police motorcycle outriders and thanked them for delivering the team bus safely. His reception was less warm inside the ground, the tens of thousands of Atlético fans concocting offensive chants for him.
The hosts were hardly impressed with Mourinho’s strategy. He had fielded one of his most defensive teams with Fernando Torres often isolated on his old stamping ground. Willian tracked back deep to protect Cole while Ramires helped out César Azpilicueta on the right.
Chelsea had a three-man central midfield with Lampard occasionally pushing on but mainly assisting Mikel and Luiz. Luiz seemed to have two main responsibilities, following Koke when the highly-regarded No?6 was drifting in from the left and also standing in front of the back-four to prevent any long balls reaching Costa.
The much-coveted Costa was soon involved, skillfully weaving the ball around Cole, as Atlético dominated possession. Making only his sixth appearance of 2014 for Chelsea, Cole had so much to prove to Mourinho and to Roy Hodgson. The left-back caught Raúl García, the Atlético attacker who soon got his own back, lifting a boot at Cole, but the defender impressed all night until cramp unsurprisingly seeped into his legs.
It was occasionally fractious, Costa going toe to toe with Terry, before the defining moment of the first half. Defending a corner, Luiz pushed García into Cech, sending the keeper tumbling from a height and landing on his right elbow. Despite extensive treatment, Cech was unable to continue.
After all the pre-match talk over who should be in Atlético’s goal (until Uefa sensibly intervened to over-rule any restrictions in Courtois’ loan deal from Chelsea), the focus was now on who should be in Chelsea’s goal. Chelsea’s best keeper remained in Atlético’s goal. Courtois has already become an icon here because of his remarkable maturity and command of his area.
Cech was replaced by Schwarzer, who had kept goal for Fulham against García and Atlético in the 2010 Europa League final, losing that one. He was under occasional pressure here. From a Koke cross, García rose above Cole but headed over. Chelsea’s defence was otherwise immaculate, particularly Cahill who saw off one Koke run, then nipped in ahead of Costa to stop another Atlético move.
Atlético tried some long-range efforts. Mario Suárez unleashed a shot from 25 yards that curled just wide. Atlético fans never stopped their support, waving their scarves and banners all around the ground, except for a defiant splash of blue in one corner where Chelsea’s fans had moments to sing about in the second half.
Lampard shot through a group of players but Courtois saved with ease. Then Schwarzer punched hurriedly clear, the ball collected by Diego, who nudged it to his right before shooting. Schwarzer saved well.
Then it was Courtois’ turn to command applause. Torres rolled back the years, dribbling in, eluding three attempted tackles before shooting goalwards. Courtois was again well-placed to collect. Schwarzer saved a Gabi free-kick but the first leg was petering out.

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Times:

Defensive Chelsea survive Petr Cech blow against Atlético Madrid in Champions League

Oliver Kay Chief Football Correspondent
Atlético Madrid 0 Chelsea 0

It is a results business, as has been made clearer than ever this week, and there is no manager more results-driven than José Mourinho. Last night, against the Spanish league leaders, in the partisan atmosphere of the Vicente Calderón, Chelsea got precisely the result they came for. In a week’s time, we will find out whether it was the right one.
A goalless draw away from home in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie can never be greeted with wild celebration, but it always seemed to be the height of Mourinho’s ambitions from the moment the first whispers emerged about his team selection. It was a line-up that was designed to stifle Atlético Madrid — no more, no less — and it did its job, which, from the players’ point of view, was a commendable effort after they lost Petr Cech and John Terry to injury.
The problem is that Chelsea did not score or even begin to threaten an away goal and that, while Eden Hazard could be back from injury in time for the semi-final second leg against Atlético at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday, Cech and Terry will be absent, along with Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel, who both picked up suspensions after being booked in the line of defensive duties last night.
Cech’s injury was caused by David Luiz, who, in a typical rush of blood, was lucky not to concede a penalty when he pushed Raúl García while defending a corner in the 15th minute. Instead, Luiz’s shove led García to collide with Cech, whose injury could prove costly to Chelsea’s ambitions over the remainder of the season. Mark Schwarzer, the substitute goalkeeper, was barely troubled, but you would expect nothing less of Chelsea, whose ability to carry out a defensive gameplan in a European knockout tie is second to none.
It seems like a long time, though, since Mourinho could be heard preaching about his dislike for the type of football his team had played while grinding their way to the Europa League title under Rafael Benítez last season. “I don’t like the way Chelsea were playing in the last couple of years,” he said in September. “The club doesn’t like it. We want to play a different style. I don’t want to defend as a low block. I don’t want central defenders playing in midfield. I don’t want long balls to a lonely striker.”
Rarely, though, can a Chelsea centre forward have felt more alone on the pitch than Fernando Torres in the first half last night. Defending as a low block? If Mikel and Luiz had dropped any lower, they would have been on the toes of Gary Cahill and Terry. The idea was that Lampard, Ramires and Willian would break forward to join the attack, but that looked easier said than done when that ultra-defensive approach required them to start from such a deep position.
Chelsea’s attacks in the first half amounted to the following: on nine minutes a pass from Ramires to Torres, who misplaced the return ball; on 20 minutes Torres dribbled down the left and won a corner, from which Mikel impeded Thibaut Courtois; on 28 minutes a counter-attack worthy of the name, but Willian, with the chance to release Torres, produced a heavy touch and ended up hitting a cross-shot into touch; on 37 minutes another corner, which came to nothing; in stoppage time a free kick, which was struck against the Atlético wall by Luiz.
After all the debate over whether Courtois, Atlético’s on-loan goalkeeper, should have been allowed to play against Chelsea, his parent club, he ended up an irrelevance. Atlético could probably have played a dustbin in goal without risking too much. Lampard threatened from distance early in the second half, but he and his team-mates were far too busy defensively, far too busy hustling Koke, Raúl García, Mario Garcia and the rest, to give much thought to attack.
Mourinho bristled afterwards when informed that Jack Sullivan, the teenage son of the West Ham United co-owner, had tweeted something about Chelsea playing “19th-century football” — a reference, of course, to the manager’s unflattering assessment of Sam Allardyce’s tactics in a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge in January.
The fact is that, as was pointed out at the time, in Allardyce’s defence, there is plenty to admire in a defensive game plan as long as it is carried out well, as it certainly was last night by César Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, Terry and the returning Ashley Cole as well as those such as Luiz, Mikel and Lampard, who competed well in front of them.
Atlético were kept at arm’s length throughout, with Diego Costa contained very well by Terry and Cahill. There were a few scares — a shot wide from Mario Suárez in the first half and a couple of threats from Diego, the second of them saved by a relieved Schwarzer after the goalkeeper produced a weak punch from Koke’s cross — but Atlético’s approach was largely predictable as they continually crossed the ball, often straight to Terry or Cahill, rather than risk venturing into crowded central areas.
Afterwards Mourinho denied that it had been mission accomplished in terms of the first leg — “we don’t start the game thinking of 0-0,” he said — but it was not entirely convincing. It had been a dreary night’s football, unbecoming of a Champions League semi-final, but Mourinho has never worried about that. He is a results man. Time will tell whether this, in spite of the injuries, can be considered a good night.

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Mail:

Atletico 0-0 Chelsea: Jose Mourinho masterminds Madrid stalemate but Blues suffer injuries blows to both John Terry and Petr Cech in feisty Champions League affair

By Martin Samuel

There will be a lot of guff about the enemies of football bandied about after this, so let’s cut to the chase. If David Moyes could have pulled off a performance or two like this in Europe this season — or even away at Manchester City or Liverpool — he would have been hailed as a tactical genius.
Dull football is only truly dull when it fails. A goalless draw away from home to the best team in La Liga isn’t truly dull.
Would Chelsea win La Liga? No. Then are Atletico Madrid a better team than Chelsea right now? Yes.
So do Chelsea have any realistic hope of coming to the Vicente Calderon stadium and playing Atletico Madrid off the park with attacking, cavalier football? No.
So do they have to find a way to get them back to Stamford Bridge and win there? Yes. And that is exactly what they did. If Manchester United were in Chelsea’s position in the Champions League right now, Moyes would still be in a job. Fact.
That Jose Mourinho got this draw without his best player, Eden Hazard, his main striker, Samuel Eto’o, his goalkeeper Petr Cech for 72 minutes and his captain John Terry for the final 20 makes it even more of an achievement.
Chelsea are familiar with triumph in adversity in this competition and although this was only a draw it still felt like victory, of sorts.
Chelsea clung on, particularly in the second half. It came at a cost, but then performances like this always do.
Frank Lampard picked up a booking for a foul on Turkish winger Arda Turan and will miss the return leg. Soon after, when he tried to control the ball with his upper torso and got too much of his upper arm on it, Atletico’s players surrounded Jonas Eriksson, the referee, in a crass attempt to get him dismissed.
Eriksson rightly resisted but punished the most aggressive offenders in the melee, John Mikel Obi and Gabi of Atletico.
Both are now suspended from the second leg also, although Gabi, as Atletico’s captain, is the greater loss.
What is the difference, then, between Mourinho dull and Sam Allardyce dull?
Well, playing negative football to secure a mid-table finish seems pretty unambitious all round.
Circling the wagons against a team that knocked out Barcelona in the last round in a bid to reach the Champions League final may be a necessary evil.
The moment Cech was lost to the game less than midway through the first half, this had the feel of a rearguard action; and while Mark Schwarzer, his replacement, wasn’t exactly the hero of the night he made at least one save, possibly two, that kept Chelsea in the game.
In future years there may be a quiz question along the lines of, ‘Which team played three goalkeepers in the first 18 minutes of a Champions League semi-final?’
The answer, of course, will be Chelsea. Cech, who got injured, Schwarzer, the substitute, and Thibaut Courtois up the other end in the shirt of Atletico Madrid.
Courtois’ loan status having been such a hot potato going into this game, it was only to be expected that any drama would centre on the issue of keepers, and sure enough, with the tie just 17 minutes old, there it was. Atletico Madrid won a corner which Raul Garcia attacked with gusto, his momentum greatly increased by an untimely shove from David Luiz.
Garcia clattered into Cech, who instantly signalled that he needed a replacement. At first a head injury was feared, but it was later revealed that he had suffered a damaged shoulder in the nasty fall.
Either way, he was unable to continue and Schwarzer entered the action, fresh from a less than convincing performance in Saturday’s Premier League defeat at home to Sunderland.
If only Chelsea had a brilliant young goalkeeper waiting in the wings for his moment. Ah well.
Courtois is too good, Chelsea’s hierarchy feel, to hang about on the off chance that Cech gets beaten into submission by one of his own players, hence his three season loan transfers to Atletico, and the pre-match row over his availability.
Atletico were going to have to pay an extra £5million to play him against his parent club, until UEFA intervened, citing such quaint old concepts as competition integrity. Bit too late for that now, lads.
Schwarzer, at 41, was the only person on the pitch who was even born the last time Atletico reached the last four in this tournament in 1974 — they defeated Celtic, but lost the final to a mighty Bayern Munich team — but even he looked nervous when Koke floated a cross to Garcia’s head in the 30th minute.
Schwarzer’s hesitancy off his line would have made Chelsea’s travelling few fear the worst, but he redeemed himself four minutes later, even if he failed to receive credit for it. Deep-lying midfielder Mario Suarez struck a lovely, low shot from 25 yards which Schwarzer diverted with his fingertips.
The deflection was too subtle to be noticed by Eriksson, however, and a goal-kick was given. The official behind the goal — who would almost certainly have had a better view of it — was, as ever, completely useless. No surprise there.
Schwarzer’s second-half save from Gabi was more tangible, a dipping free-kick in the 75th minute that was as close as Atletico got to breaking this deadlock.
Yet La Liga’s leaders were, for the most part, disappointing and none more so than Chelsea target Diego Costa, whose record suggests this was an off night, rather than a true reflection of his ability.
Atletico had plenty of possession but to little effect. Chelsea threw a defensive cordon across the middle of the pitch, and another sitting even deeper in case the first didn’t work.
Costa had a shot charged down with trademark Chelsea bravery by Cesar Azpilicueta in the 41st minute, but there was little to suggest his mooted £32m fee would represent value for money this summer.
It was an exemplary containing job by Chelsea, but the trade-off for it was that they barely threatened, either.
Atletico had five times the number of shots but only managed four on target - Click here for our brilliant Match Zone service
Fernando Torres, returning to the club where he is still idolised — and there were plenty of F. TORRES 9 Atletico Madrid shirts knocking about — barely had a touch of significance.
A smart little dribble in the 59th minute looked good, but ended in a weak shot, and when Willian broke after 27 minutes and fed Ramires, the Brazilian attempted to replicate his chipped goal on the counter- attack against Barcelona two years ago, to no avail. Torres was screaming for a pass at the far post but his pleas went unheeded.
He will need to be more involved at Stamford Bridge, as will Chelsea, if this is to have real purpose.

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Mirror:

Atletico Madrid 0-0 Chelsea:

Blues frustrate hosts but injuries and suspensions could bite in second leg

By Martin Lipton
 
Bookings mean Frank Lampard and Jon Obi Mikel will miss the second leg, while John Terry and Petr Cech came off injured in attritional stalemate

Ugly, brutal, horrible to watch.
But beauty, in football, is in the eye of the beholder.
Last night, Jose Mourinho and Chelsea went right back to basics, played the sort of game that got the Portuguese in Roman Abramovich's bad books back in 2007.
Yet on an evening which was all about courage, desire, determination and resolve, they came away with the result that could help take them to Lisbon next month.
It came at a cost, of course. One that was high, perhaps - we shall only know next Wednesday - fatal.
Petr Cech and John Terry probably out through injuries both accidentally inflicted by David Luiz. Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel definitely missing through suspension.
Yet through it all, the old Chelsea virtues, the ones originally inculcated by Mourinho, the strengths of mind and body that took them on their magic carpet ride to Munich two years ago, proved enduring and essential.
After, this was not Chelsea against nobody. It was against the leaders of La Liga, the team that eliminated Barcelona in the last round, a side which also came for a fight, not to put on a ballet.
And it was a fight, a scrap, a battle. Two gnarled warrior sides, throwing themselves at each other physically, a footballing equivalent of bumper cars, set in the middle of a bear-pit.
Yet through it all, as Diego Costa snarled, the Atletico wide-men attempted to undo them, midfielders Gabi and Raul Garcia probed, Chelsea stood firm.
Terry and Gary Cahill were immaculate, Luiz's role in the injuries his only blemishes, Ashley Cole making a mockery of the fact this was his first start in almost three months, Mikel and Lampard tireless.
True, Chelsea did not offer too much, an early Cahill header wide, a few runs by the isolated Fernando Torres. How they could have done with Eden Hazard.
But in truth, Diego Simeone's men rarely looked as if they could score. All huff and puff. Little real craft.
Even when, in freak circumstances, Chelsea lost their dependable pair of hands.
Cech had struggled to turn Koke's inswinging corner behind off the woodwork but he was still in mid-air when Garcia, propelled into him by Luiz' shove, sent the keeper flying.
The Czech landed horribly on his right elbow, dislocating his shoulder, surely bringing his season to an end.
After all the pre-match controversy had centred on Thibaut Courtois, there was an irony that the story became the third Chelsea keeper to play in the game.
But Mark Schwarzer, down for Sunderland's equaliser on Saturday, now 41 and probably hanging up his gloves in the summer, was almost faultless.
There was one blip, a weak punch from Gabi's cross that fell to Diego, whose shot lacked pace or direction.
That apart, though, the Aussie's handling was excellent, his positioning too, making the saves he needed to from Diego's close range shot a and a slithering Gabi free-kick.
Then again, he could not have been better protected. Cahill was immense, once again, Terry, Cole and Cesar Azpilicueta not far behind, every man in black putting in a huge shift.
It was only when Terry also went off, rolling his ankle when, following a clash with Costa, he then fell over Luiz.
More enforced change, Luiz dropping in alongside Cahill, Atletico summoning up a final assault, throwing balls into the box from all angles.
When it mattered, though, Cahill or one of his colleagues got a touch, Mikel and Lampard continued working over-time, Costa and substitute Arda Turan both failed to hit the target with presentable opportunities.
And when Cahill blocked Costa's late header, Chelsea had the result their character deserved.
Now, of course, they have to make it count next week. Those injuries and suspension mean the odds may still be against them.
But they have Mourinho. They have hope. They have faith. And they have the ultimate prize tantalisingly close.

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Express:
Atletico Madrid 0 - Chelsea 0: Blues in no mood to budge

HE might have been moody before the game, but his team were cussed, awkward and simply refused to be bettered on the pitch.

By: Tony Banks

And after a performance of backs-to-the-wall grit in Madrid, Jose Mourinho and Chelsea have one foot in the Champions League final.
It was never pretty and it will have bored the pants off the purists, but Mourinho’s team grabbed a crucial result in this semi-final first leg, after losing their goalkeeper after 18 minutes with a dislocated shoulder and their captain in the second half.
Atletico Madrid huffed and puffed, but they never broke Chelsea down.
Mourinho, who was dour in the build-up to this match, named a defensive team for his eighth semi-final, but there were gambles in the line-up. Ashley Cole came in for his first start since January 26, John Obi Mikel for his first since February.
Eden Hazard, despite travelling with the squad, was left out with his calf injury, and Fernando Torres started up front against the club where he began his career, made his debut at 17 and captained the team at 19. Mourinho was bidding for his third win in the trophy. But against an Atletico side unbeaten in the competition this season his team faced a formidable task.
And in Diego Costa, 35 goals this season and the man they want to lead their attack next year, a formidable danger.
Chelsea’s brave overcoming of Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final from 3-1 down gave them hope for last night.
The Champions League is their last realistic hope for a trophy this season, barring a miracle at Liverpool in the league on Sunday.
But the last time these two sides met, in the UEFA Super Cup in 2012 in Monaco, Chelsea were hammered 4-1, and were 3-0 down by half-time.
Torres got a warm reception from the Vicente Calderon fans, Mourinho less so. Atletico swarmed all over Chelsea at the start, but Chelsea held firm until disaster struck in the 18th minute. Goalkeeper Petr Cech punched an inswinging corner clear, but David Luiz collided with Raul Garcia and shoved him into his goalkeeper.
Cech thudded painfully to the ground and had to be helped off, clutching his right elbow.
On came substitute goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, but the irony was that there was a Chelsea goalkeeper at the other end in Thibaut Courtois, on loan at Atletico from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s first chance came though as Frank Lampard crossed and Gary Cahill put a header just wide.
The pressure was intense, but the chances were few and it was Chelsea who almost struck on the break again. Willian drove from deep and found Ramires, but the Brazilian struck his angled shot wide from 25 yards.
Garcia floated a header over at the far post, but Schwarzer, who played and lost against Atletico for Fulham in the Europa League final in 2010, was generally untroubled. Mario Suarez though was just wide with an effort from 30 yards.
It was looking like it was going to be a long, hard night, quite reminiscent of many of Chelsea’s performances under Roberto Di Matteo when they won the trophy in 2012.
Grim battles of attrition and lines bravely held, punctuated by sudden breaks. But the pressure was incessant, unrelenting, and Diego’s shot was saved by Schwarzer. Luiz, despite that blunder that ended Cech’s night, was having an influential game deep in the Chelsea midfield. Atletico and their fanatical crowd were getting frustrated – which was exactly what Mourinho wanted.
Schwarzer only half-managed to get Gabi’s angled cross away, but the Australian was in the right place to save when Diego’s low shot came in.
Then Torres finally got on the ball and beat three men in a mazy run in another break, only to loft his shot straight at Courtois.
Lampard was then booked as he lunged in at substitute Turan and he will now miss the second leg. There was another blow as John Terry limped off and Chelsea lost their leader and captain.
Then Mikel was booked and he too will miss the second leg next Wednesday.
Turan headed just wide in a frantic late flurry and then nodded one over before Cahill brilliantly blocked Diego Costa’s header, but the night belonged to Chelsea.

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Star:

Atletico Madrid 0 - Chelsea 0: Jose Mourinho parks the bus as honours are shared in Spain
JOSE MOURINHO’S containment plan paid off for Chelsea in Madrid last night.

By David Woods

The visitors ran out dressed in black and proceeded to kill the game.
They ‘aparco el bus’ in front of the goal, as you might say in Spanish.
That was what the Portuguese coach had accused Tottenham of doing when they got a 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in his first spell in charge.
But with Mourinho it’s often a case of ‘do what I say, not what I do’.
Few Chelsea fans will mind how their team ground out a goalless draw which sees them hot favourites to reach a third successive European final ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg.
This was not pretty and was in sharp contrast to The Beautiful Game so beloved of Bayern’s ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola - who was also in town for his team’s clash with the thrilling Real Madrid tonight.
But sometimes you have to make a case for defence.
Chelsea’s thick black line - with ex-Altetico star Fernando Torres often isolated up front - were superb to a man.
Their back four of Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Ashley Cole - making only his second club start in over three months - were as solid as the foundations of the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Even the loss of keeper Petr Cech to an elbow injury, sustained in the 16th minute, did not deter them from the job in hand - to stop free-scoring Atletico who have notched 111 goals in all competitions this season.
Replacement Mark Schwarzer, 41, was not fazed one bit. In holding midfield - well more often than not defence! - Frank Lampard, John Obi Mikel and David Luiz worked those black socks off.
So too did Willian, Chelsea’s best hope of launching a breakaway attack, and Ramires, and when the inspirational Terry hobbled off in the 73rd minute, Luiz went into defence and Andre Schurrle came on to do his bit too.
Of course, Mourinho will have his critics and cannot repeat this approach at Stamford Bridge.
But it was his name the travelling fans were singing at the end, and the possibility of claiming Europe’s crown with a third team after successes with Porto and Inter looks on, especially with the final in his home country of Portugal.
Diego Costa, the striker he is said to want, did not have a great night, ending the match by producing a weak header straight at Schwarzer and then an even worse shot.
It is hard to say much about Thibaut Courtois, the Blues keeper on loan at Atletico. He had precious little to do.
The only setbacks for Chelsea were bookings for Lampard and Mikel, which rule them out of the return leg.
But chances are, with Eden Hazard probably back from a calf injury, they would not have been selected anyway with Mourinho having to go for far more positive tactics.
Cech was hurt as he pushed over a Koke corner in the 16th minute, with Raul Garcia being shoved into him by Luiz. He was not missed, though, with Aussie Schwarzer as cool as a can of Foster’s.
In his eighth Champions League semi-final Mourinho showed once again how he can plan for any occasion.
Like him or loathe him he knows how to get the job done - how to get his men to carry out his blueprint.
Atletico’s Diego Simeone did not look impressed with some of the antics, especially when Luiz appeared to make the most of being caught by Costa’s shoulder and took his own good time to recover.
There were whistles galore at the final whistle but despite their 26 attempts and 68 per cent possession, the La Liga champions-elect rarely looked dangerous.
It even looked like there could be a late shock when Luiz lined up a free-kick chance in the 90th minute. But he failed to hit the target, although was still applauded by Mourinho.
Deep down there might be a few Manchester United fans wishing they had got Mourinho.
They are probably among those moaning about this display - Mourinho also accused West Ham this season of playing “19th century football” in another 0-0 draw - but the man is a winner.
Chelsea won the Champions League two seasons ago under Roberto Di Matteo playing a containing game.
It might not be a good idea to back against them, and their bus, repeating it again next month

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