Bad balance playing in neutral field in European Cup

The European Cup (the Champions League since the 1992-93 season) has been characterized for most of its history as a tournament based on direct knockouts among its participants to determine the champion. From its birth in the 1955-56 campaign until 1991-92 (the penultimate with the current old format), that was the method of solving the competition. The teams faced a double game playing at each other's home and the team that scored the most goals won.

From the 1967-68 season, the double value of goals scored away from home began to be taken into account in the event of a tie for the first knockout round; the following course was also extended for the second and from 1970-71 it was established in all of them.

However, before the 1967-1968 academic year, the way to solve the qualifying rounds when the teams tied on goals on the aggregate of the tie it was through a playoff match. You could play neutral field or in that of one of the teams that faced each other depending on the circumstances and what both parties decided. Atlético has found itself three times in the position of having to play the round pass on neutral ground in this competition and the balance is not positive, since He has only managed to win one of them.

Curiously, the first two took place in the same season, 1958-59. The first tiebreaker had to be played by Atlético in the round of 16 against CDNA Sofia of Bulgaria. On the go, played on November 5, 1958 at the old Metropolitan Stadium, the rojiblancos won 2-1 with goals from Vavá and Peiró, while in the turn, held on the 26th of the same month, the Bulgarians won 1-0. At the end of the tie with 2-2 and there was no double value of the goals away from home (with which the Atlético would have been eliminated), a tiebreaker game had to be played. Both teams decided to take place on December 18 at the Stade des Charmilles in Geneva (Switzerland). The regulatory 90 minutes ended 1-1 (both from Vavá) and it became necessary to dispute an extension to determine who would go to the next round. In overtime the colchoneros scored two more goals, through Callejo and, again, Vavá (this time from a penalty) and they qualified for the quarterfinals after winning 3-1.

Atlético eliminated German Schalke 04 in this phase and in the semifinals he saw the faces with his capital neighbor, Real Madrid, champion of the three previous editions of the competition. The first match, played on April 23, 1959 at the Santiago Bernabéu, ended with a 2-1 local victory (goals from Rial and Puskas from penalties and Chuzo for the visitors). In the second, held on May 7 in the Metropolitano, the colchoneros won 1-0 with both from Collar and they tied the tie. The tiebreaker match was played on May 13 at the La Romareda Stadium in Zaragoza and the victory went to the meringues, who won 2-1 with Di Stefano and Puskas and Collar targets for Atlético.

The last single-game tie on neutral ground that Atlético has played in the European Cup / Champions League, It was this season against German Leipzig in the quarterfinals to eight special held in Lisbon to close this edition of the maximum continental competition due to the coronavirus crisis. Simeone's men lost 2-1 at the José Alvalade stadium with goals from Dani Olmo and Adams and on behalf of Atlético, João Félix scored a penalty.