Real Madrid 1 Atletico Madrid 0: Five things we learnt, including Chicharito is more than a bench warmer

Performance suggests Carlo Ancelotti’s time as Madrid manager is not up just yet, writes Nicholas Rigg

Carlo Ancelotti and Javier Hernandez celebrate victory for Real Madrid (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester United loan man Javier Hernandez went from zero to hero as he fired Real Madrid into the semi-finals of the Champions League with a late winner against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid in a feisty match at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

The Mexican, on a season-long loan from Old Trafford, complained of his frustration at not getting minutes on the pitch only last month but he let that frustration out when he steered home a Cristiano Ronaldo pass to see the holders end a seven-match winless run against their city rivals.

Arda Turan saw red for a second bookable offence in the second half and Carlo Ancelotti’s men took full advantage. They join Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus in the semi-finals and move a step closer to becoming the first team to successfully defend the European Cup in the Champions League era.

Here are five things we took from the close-fought derby duel...

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez proves he is more than just a bench warmer

Less than a month ago Javier Hernandez said he felt frustrated and sapped of confidence sitting on the Real Madrid bench week-in, week-out. Now the Manchester United loan man has all-but made his season-long move worthwhile thanks to his late winner.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Madrid needed the Mexican back in February, just after the winter transfer window had closed. It seemed like they were words of comfort rather than a realistic nod to the forward getting too many more minutes. Whether the Italian meant them or not, Madrid needed their ‘Little Pea’.

His last-gasp winner was typical ‘Chicharito’, well positioned inside the box to take a Cristiano Ronaldo pass and drill the ball beyond Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal. If he was frustrated, all that frustration was let out in that strike and the celebrations that followed.

Chicharito celebrates his goal (GETTY IMAGES)

He had been handed just four starts all season across La Liga and the Champions League going into the game and his inclusion was more through desperation than choice given the injuries to Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale. Regardless, he worked tirelessly in the Madrid attack, linked well with Ronaldo and James Rodriguez and scored more in one game against Atleti than Benzema, who he replaced in attack, had in seven games previously this season.

Don’t expect the Mexico international to nail down a starting role between now and the end of the season, nor to see Madrid take up the option to buy, but he should have more trust from his manager, especially over the next few weeks as Benzema recovers.

Carlo Ancelotti’s time as Madrid manager is not up just yet

Not only was Real Madrid’s European title on the line on Wednesday night but Carlo Ancelotti’s time as Madrid coach was also in the balance.

President Florentino Perez wants trophies and if the Italian finishes this term empty handed the likelihood is he will be looking for a new club in the summer after just two seasons, and one Champions League triumph, in the Spanish capital.

The former Chelsea boss threw the kitchen sink into his efforts when he opted against a recognised defensive midfield and put Sergio Ramos into the centre of his midfield given the absence of Luka Modric through injury. Ramos may have enjoyed playing there before but when he did so against Barcelona last season the experiment ended in failure.

This time it paid off, with Ramos not excelling in the way the Croatian does in the middle of the park but in protecting the back four well enough and giving Toni Kroos and Isco more licence to move forward. The Spain international kept things simple and added extra height to help thwart the dangerous Atletico free-kicks.

Big hurdles still await Ancelotti if he wants to continue in the Madrid hot seat next season but he has already cleared one he had previously failed to pass on seven occasions this season.

Jan Oblak is on course to be one of Europe’s best goalkeepers – if he is not already

It took Real Madrid’s star-studded team 177 minutes to break through the Slovenian brick wall that is Jan Oblak over the two legs. Atletico’s defence may be regarded as one of the best in Europe but they owed plenty to their summer addition for keeping them in the game as they long as he did.

Oblak was sensational in the first leg, producing a string of saves, notably from Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, to keep Madrid from scoring a crucial away goal. A 0-0 scoreline may have been fine for Diego Simeone from the first leg but it certainly wasn’t planned. The Slovenia international had the best game since joining the club to keep his side in it.

It looked like he was going to produce a repeat of those feats at the Bernabeu before Chicharito finally found a way to beat him. The stopper spread himself superbly to deny Ronaldo a clear-cut chance in the first leg and did the same again to thwart Hernandez late in the second half when his side were up against it.

At just 22, Oblak has had to bide his time to get regular first-team action but now he is one of the first names down on the teamsheet. Questions may have been raised over the £11.5 million price tag last summer but it looks like it could be a snip in the long-term.

Atleti have enjoyed having David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois in their ranks recently and Oblak looks set to follow suit. Luckily for Carlo Ancelotti and his men they will not have to face him again this season.

Diego Simeone’s magic can sometimes go awry

Diego ‘Cholo’ Simeone is undoubtedly one of the best managers in Europe but he showed that even the best can get it wrong sometimes.

With the minutes ticking away and Atleti just a goal away from all-but securing their progression to the semi-finals, the Argentine took off his biggest attacking threat in Antoine Griezmann and replaced him with the grittier Raul Garcia.

Simeone was clearly gearing up for a late battle and adding some fresh legs to the fight but in Griezmann, Simeone has a man who can, and has, scored a goal from nothing.

Diego Simeone tries to console Arda Turan (GETTY IMAGES)

The Frenchman was not enjoying his best game since arriving in the summer from Real Sociedad but his 20 league goals this season suggest he was the man most likely to net for the Liga champions. Atleti only needed the one goal to ensure their hosts needed two but their chances diminished after his departure.

Simeone was, of course, not to know Arda Turan would see red shortly after but with the attacking pair off the pitch it left Atleti blunt in attack. It was the first time in four matches this season that they have failed to score at the Bernabeu.

Premier League clubs should get straight on the phone to Asier Illarramendi’s agent

It is well documented that Carlo Ancelotti is not the biggest fan of Asier Illarramendi but if confirmation was needed that the former Real Sociedad man is destined for pastures new in the summer then tonight was it.

The talk before the match was over who would plug the gap left by the injured Luka Modric in the middle. Illarramendi, Lucas Silva or Sami Khedira. In the end all three were left on the bench and Ancelotti plumped for an out-of-position Sergio Ramos alongside Toni Kroos in the middle instead.

Silva has been earmarked as one for the future by Madrid and while Khedira has been preferred to the Basque midfielder in the past, the German’s declaration that he will leave Madrid in the summer has left him out of the equation. That left Illarramendi and not only was he left on the bench, he was the last name on the teamsheet as if his coach had to include him to make up the numbers.

The midfielder did come on to help shore up the Madrid defence late on but that is a role he has become accustomed to over the last two seasons and a role he wants rid of to aid his progression.

Arsenal and Liverpool have both been linked with the 25-year-old while David Moyes has also confirmed he would be keen to take him back to San Sebastian. Illarramendi has not been a success in the Spanish capital since moving there in the summer of 2013 for a hefty £34 million.