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Cape Town - Yannick Ferreira Carrasco gave Atletico Madrid a win in their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Atleti came within inches of taking the lead in the 21st minute when a corner was deflected off Robert Lewandowski at the near post to reach Fernando Torres at the far post, but his shot struck the post with Manuel Neuer poorly placed to make the save had it been on target.
Just a couple of minutes later and the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker came close to striking again when Antoine Griezmann darted down the left channel and zipped a low cross into the box that the Spaniard came within inches of getting his toe to.
Atleti struck out of nothing in the 35th minute when some space opened up for Yannick Ferreira Carrasco picked up the ball in space, bursting forward before firing a low, left-footed shot into the bottom corner.
Bayern could have been level in the 39th minute when Franck Ribery cut in from the left flank, exchanged a neat one-two with Lewandowski, and got a bit of luck for the ball to fall back into his path despite a tackle, but the Frenchman missed the opportunity when he scuffed his shot wide into the side netting.
Atleti started the second half brightly but the half chances fell to Bayern, the first seeing Thomas Müller send his header straight at Jan Oblak when unmarked at the far post from a corner; the second falling to David Alaba, but again it was straight at Oblak, who pushed the Austrian's powerful drive behind at his near post.
Then it was the Spanish side's turn to attack in the 67th minute, and Carrasco went looking for his second of the night with a dipping shot that bounced just in front of Neuer, but the German keeper was able to push it away.
Atleti were in the middle of another neat and intricate attack in the 82nd minute, with Carrasco and Filipe Luis causing trouble in the Bayern box, when Arturo Vidal recklessly clattered into the Brazilian full-back to hand the Spanish side a penalty.
Griezmann stepped up to double Atleti's lead, but the Frenchman saw his penalty thump against the crossbar before being cleared to safety.
