Atletico Madrid clawed their way into the quarter-finals of the Europa League by virtue of away goals.
Argentine at the double in Lisbon
Atletico Madrid clawed their way into the quarter-finals of the Europa League by virtue of the away goals ruling against Sporting Lisbon.
After the first leg ended goalless in Madrid, Atletico went on the attack in Lisbon and prevailed after the match finished 2-2.
Argentina international Sergio Aguero was the hero for the visitors with two well-taken first half goals at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
However Sporting, who hit back through Liedson and Miguel Veloso in the same period, had their chances to win it in the second half before crashing out.
Unmarked
In the scoreless first leg Atletico failed to break down a Sporting side reduced to nine men following the dismissals of Leandro Grimi after 31 minutes and Tonel (89), but it took them less than three minutes to breach a full-strength Lisbon outfit.
Sporting failed to clear their lines sufficiently from one attack, and when Antonio Lopez regained possession and drove in a low cross, the unmarked Aguero stole in at the near post to side-foot past Rui Patricio.
Atletico could not have asked for a better start, but they enjoyed their advantage for just 15 minutes before Sporting drew level through Liedson.
The Brazil-born forward came the closest to a goal during the first leg when he hit the crossbar from 25 yards out, but there was no denying him from four yards tonight as he powerfully headed in Miguel Carlos Saleiro's dinked cross.
Atletico went back in front in the 32nd minute.
A flowing move resulted in Jose Antonio Reyes playing in Aguero inside the area, and the stocky Argentinian turned inside Anderson before coolly slotting a shot inside the far post with the outside of his foot.
Brilliant
Reyes then came within inches of putting Atletico 3-1 up with a superb 25-yard free-kick, but there was to be another setback for the Spanish side on the stroke of half-time as Sporting drew level for a second time.
Veloso fired a free-kick into the area and Anderson got the faintest of touches to help the ball on its way past David De Gea.
That was just the breakthrough Sporting would have been hoping for prior to the interval, but ultimately it would not be enough to save them.
Sporting almost got a perfect start to the second half when De Gea was called onto make a brilliant one-handed save from Saleiro, while Liedson put an opportunity wide at the far post soon after.
The home side would not create many better openings after that, however, and it was Atletico who were celebrating at the end.
