"The most important thing is that we're in the final," Jan Oblak told UEFA.com, Atlético's success erasing memories of a shaky start against Bayern.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak dives to save Thomas Müller's penalty ©Getty ImagesAtlético Madrid once again proved that they are one of the toughest teams in Europe, edging past a determined Bayern on away goals after a 2-1 away defeat on Tuesday night.
"Today, I played against the best opponents that I have faced in my whole career; it is unbelievable what we have done," beamed coach Diego Simeone, whose side have beaten Barcelona and Bayern in successive rounds. "We've beaten two of the three best teams in Europe."
Victory certainly seemed implausible after a shaky first-half performance from the visitors. "The match was very difficult," Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak told UEFA.com. "Especially in the first half, we weren't so well organised and we had a lot of problems."
Josep Guardiola's side ran the Rojiblancos ragged but only took a 1-0 lead into the break. "It's lucky we were only 1-0 down," admitted Oblak, who had done more than most to keep Bayern at bay, saving Thomas Müller's 34th-minute penalty.
That save would prove to be a turning point – it prevented Bayern from taking the lead in the tie for the first time, and halted their momentum, paving the way for Atlético to gain a foothold in the game. A rejuvenated Atlético emerged for the second half.
"We were much better," said 2012 UEFA Champions League winner Fernando Torres. "We pressed them higher and were able to counter more, which is how we ended up scoring."
Antoine Griezmann's second-half strike put Atlético back in control and – despite a late Robert Lewandowski goal – was enough to steer them to their second UEFA Champions League final in two years.
"We lost the game, but the most important thing is that we're in the final," concluded Oblak, who pulled off a sensational save in the dying minutes to keep out David Alaba's deflected volley.
With local rivals Real Madrid in action against Manchester City in the other semi, there is a distinct possibility of a repeat of the 2014 final, but Simeone insisted that his side were not haunted by memories of that defeat in extra time. "Life is not about revenge, it's about new opportunities," the Argentinian told the media. "This is a new opportunity."
Who Atlético face in the final in Milan on 28 May is of no consequence for Torres, whose Chelsea side defied the odds to beat Barcelona and Bayern on their way to European glory in 2012. "We have to beat the best," proclaimed the Spaniard. "Hopefully we can also beat whoever wins [on Wednesday]."
credit to:http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2360123.html#oblak+relieved+after+atletico+edge+bayern
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