Real Madrid Hold Off Atletico to Advance to 2017 UEFA Champions League Final

Real Madrid survived Atletico Madrid's comeback attempt to advance to the UEFA Champions League final despite losing Wednesday's semi-final second leg 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon, sealing a 4-2 aggregate win.

Los Rojiblancos bolted out of the gates and notched early strikes through Saul Niguez and an Antoine Griezmann penalty to flip the fixture on its head, putting to bed any notion the semi-final was predetermined.

But Isco hit back with the crucial away goal following a superb piece of Karim Benzema skill just minutes before the interval, and Real set up for the goalless second half they needed to proceed to a second successive European finalReal's prize for victory is a final opposite fellow qualifiers Juventus at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on June 3, and OptaPaolo noted evidence more than hinting at which team boasts the superior defence: