Atletico Madrid suffered their first Champions League defeat at the Vicente Calderon for 19 months by losing 2-1 to Benfica tonight.
Debutant Angel Correa opened the scoring on 23 minutes, but 13 minutes later, against the run of play, Nicolas Gaitan levelled up with a sweetly-struck half-volley.
Atletico were the better team after the break but, again, a swift counter-attack saw Gaitan set up Goncalo Guedes, and he made no mistake.
Here, Sports Mole analyses how the game was won in the Spanish capital.
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Match statistics
ATLETICO MADRID
Shots: 23
On target: 7
Possession: 58%
Corners: 12
Fouls: 14
BENFICA
Shots: 6
On target: 4
Possession: 42%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 13
Was the result fair?
By virtue of the statistics, it seems a one-sided contest, and it was by way of possession and shots, but visiting goalkeeper Julio Cesar was only forced into two meaningful saves throughout a second half in which Benfica defended remarkably well to earn their three points. Atletico had more than enough chances in the first period to win this contest; all of which were down to incompetence rather than bad luck. Benfica deserved the victory simply because the Rojiblancos did not.
Atletico Madrid's performance
Correa and Jackson Martinez were surprise inclusions in Diego Simeone's first XI, but for contrasting reasons. Correa, who underwent heart surgery in July, earned his Champions League debut after a number of impressive off-the-bench cameos, while Simeone kept faith with the struggling Martinez, who had struck once in seven outings following a £25m move from Porto. And both certainly made headlines during the first half for contrasting reasons.
Simeone, who had played down the Colombian's inauspicious start prior to kickoff, was left applauding his striker on the 26-minute mark, but it was an act of encouragement rather than celebration. Martinez, who had already missed one golden chance, headed another one against the post when it seemed easier to score. Immediately after missing, he glanced over to the linesman hoping to see a raised flag to absolve him of the miss, but he was onside.
Just moments earlier, Atleti moved ahead through Correa. Antoine Griezmann struck both in the 2-0 win at Galatasaray in their Group C opener, but the Frenchman turned provider tonight with a beautiful cushioned touch into the path of Correa, who shinned the ball past Cesar. It was not the cleanest of finishes, but the 20-year-old will not care. It could, and should, have been two on the half-hour mark but Martinez spurned another chance to complete his hat-trick of sitters.
If his confidence was not already brittle, then the fact that all three of his misses proved costly will have certainly done further damage. First, Gaitan slammed home a half-volley at the back post, before Guedes added a second shortly after the half-time break to flip the game on its head. Atletico had not lost a Champions League game at home since March 2014, but that record looked under severe threat when Simeone's side tried and failed to crowbar their way back into it. Oddly, the Argentine coach kept Martinez on the field throughout but his faith was never vindicated - not in Martinez, anyway.
Benfica's performance
Few can argue that Benfica did not deserve their victory. On the surface, it looked like a smash and grab of sorts, with both of their goals coming completely against the run of play, but it is clear that their outstanding defensive effort in the second half merited a victory.
If not for Martinez's profligacy then Rui Vitoria's men, in truth, could have been trailing 4-0 by the time Gaitan levelled up, such was Atletico's dominance. But it was a totally different story after the break. The Portuguese giants looked in far more control at the back, with Jardel and Luisao exceptional at the heart of their defence. They snatched the lead from an Atletico attack, with Gaitan breaking at speed before finding the unmarked Guedes, who guided a neat side-footed effort past Jan Oblak. It was the last time they could come anywhere near scoring a third but, with a defence like that, they never looked like needing one.
Under Jorge Jesus, Benfica finished bottom of the group en route to heading out of Europe completely last season. But with six points from a possible six so far, three clear of Atletico and arguably the toughest fixture out of the way, Vitoria and co top Group C and they will be expecting to reach the latter stages.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Nicolas Gaitan: Simeone described him as the "fulcrum" of Benfica's attack, but even after highlighting his threat, Gaitan was still allowed to run amok. He wandered in at the back post unmarked to thrash his half-volley past Oblak, before leading a lightning-quick counter-attack and setting up Guedes for the second. The best player on the field.
Biggest gaffe
It simply has to be Martinez, who spurned enough opportunities to effectively kill off the contest long before Gaitan ever equalised. It was his second chance that seemed most inexplicable, with the ex-Porto hitman heading against the outside of the post from a matter of yards out.
Referee performance
Gianluca Rocchi did well to keep a lid on this at times, when it occasionally threatened to turn hostile between both sides. He booked seven players in total and rightly gave a number of them the benefit of the doubt when many officials would have reached for a second yellow. It was a good showing from the Italian.
What next?
Atletico Madrid: Simeone and co are back in action this Sunday when they welcome bitter rivals Real Madrid to the Vicente Calderon.
Benfica: Also returning to action on Sunday, Benfica, who sit third in the Primeira Liga, travel away to Uniao da Madeira.
Shane Callaghan
