Feel free to send along any thoughts or comments. Email me at eoin@the42.ie.

Good evening, folks.

I’m excited – not gonna lie.

In many ways, this would’ve been the perfect final but we just have to get over the fact that one of these teams will miss out on a Champions League medal this season.

The pressure is firmly on Pep Guardiola. Brought to Bayern to win big in Europe, it hasn’t worked out that way at all and he’s probably still scarred from the semi-final in 2014, when Real Madrid humiliated them in Bavaria.

He faces a superb coach in Diego Simeone tonight, who has overseen Atleti reaching the final four of this competition twice in the last three seasons and who made it to the final two years ago.

The teams are in, by the way. So, let’s bring you the home side first.

And here’s how Bayern will look tonight.

The big news is that Thomas Muller has been dropped to the bench by Guardiola. He selects Robert Lewandowski as a lone striker with Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa providing some support in wide areas. That means a central trio of Thiago Alcantara, Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso.

For Atleti, they have to deal with the big loss of Diego Godin in central defence while Lucas Hernandez also misses out. Ex-Manchester City player Stefan Savic slots in alongside Jose Maria Giminez. Elsewhere, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco is also injured with Augusto Fernnadez coming into the middle of midfield.

Here’s what happened when the sides last met in 1974.

That’s Franz Beckenbauer lifting the European Cup and Gerd Muller with that perfectly-maintained mustache.

Jumpers for goalposts.

It really should’ve been Atleti’s day too. The game was scoreless until the 114th minute when future Spanish coach Luis Aragones scored for them. But, with the last kick of the game, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck equalised and the game went to a replay.

TWO (yes, two) days later, Bayern hit four and that was that. Interestingly, a man called Muller scored twice.

EMPICS Sports Photo Agency EMPICS Sports Photo Agency

A startling stat that shows the gulf in European success between Spain and Germany in recent years.

Lots of respect shown by Pep here. Dropping Muller – who is such a livewire and always a nuisance – in favour of some extra padding in midfield says much about how wary he is of being done by Atleti here. Teams are on the pitch, by the way.

KICK-OFF! 

Quick shot from Saul Niguez but it’s easy for Neuer to gather. Nice edge to this early on – both sides high on energy.

Two Premier League ‘flops’ in the Atletico defence with Felipe Luis on the left of their defence. Savic, as mentioned previously, in the middle.

If you’re looking for a player in form, by the way, look no further than Fernando Torres. Five in his last six games. His best form since that glorious first season at Anfield, perhaps?

Atleti have started very well here – shutting Bayern down and getting tight. On the attack, they’ve been bright too. Moments ago, Alaba cheaply surrendered possession along the touchline and Guardiola threw his hands up in the air. Already he seems pretty pent-up.

A feeble effort from Torres as he cuts in from the right channel. But space opened up as Atleti countered from the halfway line.

GOAL! Saul Niguez! 

CLOSE! There’s almost an immediate equaliser as Vidal gets to it before Jan Oblak and his header seems to float towards the corner only for Giminez to get back and head off the line from underneath his own bar.

WHAT. A. GOAL.

My word. Saul is so positive when he picks the ball up and jinks his way towards goal. Thiago doesn’t want to foul so he backs off. Then, he evades two challenges with some superb feet and as he looks up towards goal, he bends it to the far corner and it carefully kisses the inside of the upright before nestling in the net.

That was Norman Whiteside in 1985 all over again – with added tricks and fancy footwork.

Ah, yes. Better call Saul, indeed. By the way, can anyone guess who his agent is?

Bayern just finding it very difficult to make slick passes count. Can’t remember when they’ve managed three in a row. As they try to get a little interchange to happen, along comes a misplaced delivery or an imposing Atleti player to quell the attack.

CLOSE! Costa narrowly misses the near post with a vicious, in-swinging free-kick from the right side. Oblak (and everyone else, really) was expecting a cross but he whipped it low and didn’t miss by much. Side-netting with the goalkeeper scrambling.

Lahm wants a penalty as Lahm lashes a strike towards goal after jinking inside a challenge and taking it on his left. Referee tonight is Mark Clattenburg and he waves away the protests.

VERY CLOSE! That’s route one stuff and very nearly a second for Atleti. There was a little flick and Griezmann was on it in a flash. He tried to push it past Neuer at his near post but the keeper got down to his left and stuck out a leg to block. Martinez and Alaba are really struggling to keep tabs on Atleti’s front two here. They’re causing big problems.  

A bit better from Bayern but still no chance created since that Vidal header immediately after Saul’s goal. Coman shows pace down the right side before planting a simple cross right at Oblak at his near post. Moments later, Vidal shoots from distance but it’s wild.

It’s not going to be easy for Bayern to find a way past this Atleti defence, by the way, even without Diego Godin.

BOOKING! Saul races down the Atleti right side and burns Bernat. He’s eventually brought down by Costa who gets a yellow for his troubles.

CLOSE! This is a shop-window performance by Saul. He picks it up wide left and whips in a superb cross to the near post for Koke. He just tries to flick it towards goal but it takes a touch off a Bayern defender and rolls out for a corner.

HALF-TIME! 

Well, that went by in a blink. And what a difference between that half and the entire Real Madrid v Manchester City game last night.

Desire, energy, determination and Bayern are on the ropes a little bit.

They’ve not had any answer to the speed of Atleti and their ability to play in a controlled frenzy of sorts – tackle like terriers but play the ball with precision and pace.

The goal from Saul was a moment of individual creativity that this part of the tournament is all about – superb skill and a magic finish.

Expect Bayern to push harder and make some changes if necessary but don’t write off their chances of conceding again. Martinez and Alaba have looked far from secure trying to deal with Griezmann and Torres.

The Bayern bench, for what it’s worth:

Ulreich (GK)
Tasci
Benatia
Ribery
Gotze
Muller
Kimmich

SECOND HALF! 

The last time Atletico conceded a goal was 9 April.

Torres is faced with three Bayern defenders and holds it up. He goes to jink past one and…falls over himself. And it was going so well…

VERY CLOSE! Where did that come from? Alaba lines it up – it must be from close to 40 yards – and sends a screamer arrowing towards the top corner. But it crashes back down off the crossbar and bounces to safety. Magnificent effort…by the centre-back.

VERY CLOSE! Another big chance for Bayern and this is a bad miss. Martinez rises to meet the corner and he’s completely unchallenged in the middle of the area. No Atleti player even gets off the ground. And he sends it straight at Oblak who gets down and smothers. Big, big chance.

Bayern’s approach really is fascinating. They have both full-backs – Bernat and Lahm – pushing forward at every opportunity but moving inside so that they take up old-fashioned inside-right and inside-left positions. They have zero interest in overlaps and stretching the play but, instead, making things smaller and tighter.

CLOSE! A little flick by Vidal plays in Lewandowski in the area but he’s forced wider and wider before flashing a strike across Oblak. Angle was just too acute for him.

A little ‘coming together’ involving Giminez and Lewandowski. All sorted with a handshake. Nothing to see here.

SUBSTITUTION! Ribery (on) – Coman (off)

First change for Pep but it’s not Muller who comes in. A like-for-like replacement as the veteran winger takes up a place on the right side.

Apologies – Ribery is, of course, on the left wing. But, interestingly, he’s just popped up in the right channel as Bayern try to work a neat little move. To confirm, Costa remains on the right flank.

SUBSTITUTION! Muller (on) – Thiago Alcantara (off)

Second throw of the dice from Bayern and Muller is always so good at popping up with a crucial goal.

A very precise, but pertinent, stat for you with just over 20 minutes left.

Direct route from Bayern and Costa is through in the right channel. Not much on and no support so he looks to lob Oblak – good idea but execution needs some fine-tuning.

VERY CLOSE! Vidal cracks one from distance and it’s superbly hit. It’s heading for the top corner but Oblak gets close to it and beats it away. It was really moving, as evidenced by the fact the ball lands 20 yards away after the keeper makes the save.

VERY CLOSE! Oh, Fernando Torres! How close is that? Greta link-up with Griezmann who races towards goal. Torres peels to his right and picks up the pass. Alaba tracks him but the striker rolls back the years and brings it inside, totally bemusing the Austrian. The shot is heading towards the far corner and CLANG! It hits the post and Koke’s effort on the rebound is easily saved by Neuer.

SUBSTITUTION! Benatia (on) – Bernat (off)

A final change from Pep – can they force a late equaliser here?

BOOKINGS! A bit of time-wasting here. Koke tries to race down the touchline but runs the ball out of play. He plays on for a bit – trying to get the ball as high up the pitch as possible. So, Benatia comes across and slides in, taking him down late. Koke stays down, rolls around and the Bayern sub goes in the book. Neuer comes across to remonstrate with the Atleti midfielder and he picks up a yellow too.

SUBSTITUTION! Partey (on) – Saul Niguez (off)

Surely only good things can come of a player called Partey? We’ll see as he replaces the goalscorer – the impressive Saul.

BOOKING! Vidal gets a yellow card after a foul on Juanfran and time is ticking away for Bayern here.

Four minutes of injury time here.

Benatia gets up to get his head to a left-wing cross but it’s easy for Oblak. Moments later, Vidal latches onto a loose ball and it seems to fall perfectly for him. But he can’t get his foot over the ball and hits it into the ground. Oblak gleefully claimed it.

FULL-TIME! 

That’s a fantastic result and performance from Atleti. From the very start, they made things uncomfortable for Bayern and when they needed it, they came up with some magic in front of goal.

Certainly, Pep Guardiola had a few words for his side at half-time and they did improve after the break. Alaba struck the crossbar with a ferocious shot from all over 40 yards while Vidal tested Oblak too but, even when they looked under pressure, Atleti went up the other end and struck the woodwork themselves through Torres.

Simeone and his players won’t fear a trip to Bavaria for the second-leg and they haven’t conceded a goal now since 9 April.

Advantage to them, without a doubt.

Thanks for staying with our coverage this evening. Plenty of further reaction still to come on the site.