Atletico extends lead, Diego Costa injured in win

BARCELONA: Diego Costa was carried off with a bloody leg after scoring Atletico Madrid´s second goal in a 2-0 win at 10-man Getafe on Sunday, although the team said its star striker escaped without a serious injury.

Atletico extended its Spanish league lead to three points with five rounds to play as it closes in on what would be its first league title in 18 years.

Costa slammed into the post while poking in his 26th goal of the season in the 84th minute, opening a cut on his left shin and requiring the stadium´s medical crew to carry him off the pitch while he covered his face and muffled his screams.

While his teammates looked distraught as he writhed on the pitch, Atletico said less than 10 minutes after the match on Twitter that "luckily Diego Costa only has a cut after hitting the post." "He´s fine, calm, a cut doesn´t do any more harm," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said about his leading scorer. "We now have five games left, and we have to play each one like it was a final."

Despite the scare, Atletico took advantage of Barcelona´s loss on Saturday to open up a three point lead over Real Madrid with Barcelona another point behind.

Defender Diego Godin gave Atletico the lead in the 40th before Getafe´s Alexis Ruano was dismissed with a red card in the 66th for pulling Miranda down in the area, with goalkeeper Jordi Codina saving Diego Costa´s penalty and Raul Garcia´s follow-up try.

Atletico then applied the same stout defense that it used to eliminate Barcelona from the Champions League this week to keep Getafe in the relegation zone. "This was a tough rival to beat because a lot was on the line," Godin said. "(And) the victory is a bitter one for what happened to Diego Costa."

Costa was back in Atletico´s starting 11 having recovered from a right thigh injury that sidelined him for two games.The Brazilian-born player is having a breakout season that has earned him a spot on Vicente del Bosque´s squad for Spain in this summer´s World Cup.

He showed no signs of slowing down as he deployed the same physical style of play that has made him the revelation of the league this season, earning three fouls and two yellow cards for Getafe´s defenders in the first half hour. And after Codina blocked his penalty kick, Costa kept hustling and got his chance to pull to within two goals of league leader Cristiano Ronaldo when he slid to meet Adrian Lopez´s cross.

The goal came at a high price, with his cries heard across the pitch at Alonso Perez Coliseum following his brutal collision with the upright.

Godin put Atletico in front when he rose up over his marker to guide in Juanfran Torres´ cross with a well-placed header over Codina, who was caught off his line and yet nowhere near Godin. (AP)

Football: Atletico stun Barcelona, holders Bayern progress

PARIS: Atletico Madrid's resurgence continued on Wednesday just a year after they were forced to sell leading scorer Radamel Falcao to reduce their huge debts as they eliminated Barcelona to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.

A goal by Koke - who has been with the club since he was eight years old - saw them deservedly beat Barcelona 1-0 on the night and progress 2-1 on aggregate and perhaps also register a changing of the guard at the top of Spanish and European football.

Bayern Munich - bidding to become the first team to successfully defend their title - also reached the last four beating Manchester United 3-1, to go through 4-2 on aggregate.

They join United's Premier League rivals Chelsea - who beat Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday - and Atletico's city rivals Real, victors over last season's beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund, in Friday's draw.

Atletico - who last beat Barcelona four years ago - came roaring out of the blocks and got the only goal of the game through Koke, his first in this season's tournament, in the fifth minute.

Atletico, who are also top of La Liga in a three way battle with Barca and Real, could have been 3-0 up after fifteen minutes as former Barcelona striker David Villa hit the woodwork on two occasions.

Barcelona were largely contained by Atletico and star player Lionel Messi had an especially torrid night as he failed to score against Atletico for the sixth successive game.

For Atletico coach Diego Simeone - who last year was forced to sell Falcao for 60 million euros ($83 million) when their debt was officially estimated at 170 million euros but some experts said it was up to 300 million euros - it was another significant victory.

"We maintain the same humility. We understand that the other teams (in the semi-finals) have been there far more than Atletico Madrid," said the 43-year-old, who was a bundle of energy on the touchline urging the crowd to raise the noise level and continually making the sign of the cross.

"We are there 40 years later and we believe in what we are doing." It is the second time that Atletico and Real have reached the semi-finals of European club football's most prestigious tournament in the same season - 1959 being the previous occasion, and is is only the fourth time clubs from the same city have reached the last four.

AC Milan and Inter Milan in 2003 and London duo Arsenal and Chelsea in 2009 being the others. For 22-year-old Koke, who made his senior debut aged just 17, it was an especially emotional night.

"The team were spectacular in this game," said Koke.

"This team has no limits and we must keep on making the fans dream." Defeat will heap the pressure on Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino, but Simeone's compatriot was not focussing on that.

"Of course we feel bad about this defeat," he said.

"However, while we can't win three trophies I don't think this defeat will affect us on the other two fronts. We still have the league, we have a match against Granada on Saturday, and the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid next Wednesday." While Bayern dominated possession it was United who took the lead through a spectacular long range effort from an unlikely source French fullback Patrice Evra.

However, their joy was not to last long as Bayern went down the other end and Mario Mandzukic headed an equaliser.

Further goals from Thomas Mueller and Arjen Robben ensured their place in the last four.

"The first ten minutes after the break were a catastrophe for us as they took the lead," said Robben.

"It was important that we got the equaliser quickly, now we have just one more opponent before the Lisbon final." For United manager David Moyes it will do little to allay speculation over his future which will see the team end without silverware and even struggling to qualify for next season's Europa League.

"I thought the players did a great job tonight, the only crime was that we let them equalise just a few seconds later," said Moyes.

"We contained them for long periods of time, but it wasn't to be."