Atletico Madrid’s ambition of finishing inside the Champions League top eight at the end of the league phase suffered a setback after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Galatasaray on Wednesday in their penultimate fixture.
The single point briefly lifted Diego Simeone’s side into eighth place, but the three-time finalists now face a tougher path to securing automatic qualification for the round of 16.
Giuliano Simeone handed Atletico an ideal start with an early opener, delighting his father’s bench, before an unfortunate own goal from Marcos Llorente restored parity for the hosts in Istanbul.
Llorente later redeemed himself with a crucial late intervention that prevented Atletico from leaving Turkey empty-handed.
“First, we wait to see the results—(finishing in the top eight) no longer depends only on us,” Simeone told reporters.
“Based on the results, we will manage what does depend on us.”
The Atletico coach admitted his side must improve their cutting edge in front of goal, while conceding that the contest was finely balanced.
“(They) could have won with that last one that Marcos saved,” he added.
“I think we played a great game—we could have won it, but clinical finishing is key, and hopefully, we can regain that form.”
The visitors silenced the intense atmosphere inside the stadium with a fourth-minute goal, as Giuliano powered a header into the net from Matteo Ruggeri’s delivery.
Galatasaray responded after 20 minutes when Llorente inadvertently turned Roland Sallai’s cross into his own goal while attempting to intercept, denying Jan Oblak a clean sheet on his landmark 100th Champions League appearance.
Baris Yilmaz missed a golden opportunity to put the Turkish champions ahead before the interval, firing over the bar from a promising position.
Atletico nearly reclaimed the lead shortly before the hour, but Abdulkerim Bardakci cleared David Hancko’s goal-bound effort off the line.
Simeone later withdrew Alexander Sorloth for Antoine Griezmann, leaving Julian Alvarez on despite his recent struggles in front of goal.
The Argentine forward, who has scored only once in his last 10 outings, showed greater energy than in several recent matches.
In the closing stages, Griezmann bent a free-kick towards the top corner, only for Ugurcan Cakir to push it away, before the Galatasaray goalkeeper also denied Alex Baena to secure a draw.
The hosts came close to snatching victory at the death, but Llorente raced back to dispossess Eren Elmali just as he prepared to shoot.
The result left Galatasaray slightly frustrated, with a daunting trip to Manchester City awaiting them in their final league-phase match as they chase a play-off place.
Atletico, meanwhile, will host Bodo/Glimt knowing that a top-eight finish remains possible, even though a victory in Istanbul would have put them in a far stronger position.
What you should know
The Champions League league-phase format places huge importance on finishing inside the top eight, as it guarantees automatic qualification to the round of 16.
Atletico Madrid’s draw in Istanbul means their fate now partly depends on other results going into the final round of matches. Galatasaray remain in contention for a play-off spot but face a major challenge away to Manchester City.
For Atletico, home advantage against Bodo/Glimt offers hope, though their lack of clinical finishing has become a recurring concern at a decisive stage of the competition.
