It's almost as if we have seen this played out before, and that is because we sort of have. Both of Madrid's top soccer teams looked impressive in their Champions League semifinal firt leg matches this week, although only one comes away with an aggregate advantage. 

Playing in their friendly confines of the Vicente Calderon on the banks of the Rio Manzanares in the Spanish capital, Club Atlético de Madrid played as anyone would expect them to. They closed the gaps on Bayern Munich, who altough maintained possession for a majority of the match, found little chances to score. Diego Simeone has made defensive organization and aggressiveness a trademark for his Atlético teams, and it was on full display Wednesday.

Los Rojiblancos won the match 1-0, and now head out on the road to Munich with a goal advantage and figure to exhibit another defensive masterpiece. If they can manage to score even just one more goal, it wouldn't be too much to think they would have all but punched their ticket for the final in Milan.

Saúl Ñíguez, a 21-year-old midfielder that Atletí has high hopes for the future for, drilled home a brilliant goal to seal it for the home side. He took on four Bayern defenders before curving one past Manuel Neuer for a goal that if you called it incredible would not do it justice. Fernando Torres continued his top form, nearly handing Pep Guardiola's men their death sentence with a shot that went off the post in the 75th minute.

Tuesday night in Manchester, Real Madrid looked impressive even without Cristiano Ronaldo dressed for the match, but Manchester City goal keeper Joe Hart was just that much better. Los Blancos had chances to earn a pivotal away goal, but Hart kept swatting them away. Forward Karim Benzema was noticeably unfit but featured in the starting XI despite, likely because Ronaldo was ruled out at the last minute.

Madrid dominated in the air, requiring Hart finest saves on headers off corner kicks. Gareth Bale shouldered the offensive burden well in the absence of the other two BBC members, however he was unable to convert as he was consistently double and triple teamed.

According to Ronaldo's mother, the Portuguese superstar is at 80 percent fitness. She commented on her son's status while at a book signing for her biography "Mother of Courage." No doubt Zinedine Zidane will not risk his star's health this weekend in La Liga, even though they do play a tough Real Sociedad team. 

After all the priority all over Madrid is the Champions League, Spain can wait as Europe is ripe for the taking.

Photo: Flickr