REPORT TEXT ABOUT FOOTBALL

No arguments, no excuses, simply beaten.

Even the Special One is not infallible. Even Jose Mourinho gets it wrong sometimes.

And when you err against a seriously good team, make mistakes at crucial times, when, in the final analysis, you are not quite good enough, defeat comes calling.

Last night, to the disbelief of Stamford Bridge, Mourinho was mastered by the new gunslinger on the block, Diego Simeone ensuring the Dream Final - for Madrilenos.

For Mourinho, more semi-final heartache. Now eight times in the last four, three with his beloved Blues.

But only twice has Mourinho progressed, when he went on the lift the trophy with Porto and Inter.

Four straight defeats at the stage, too. This one, perhaps, the most painful.

Mourinho may have frustrated Atletico with his defensive blanket last week, twisted the knife in Liverpool's guts at Anfield.

Yet if you select a team with six natural defenders, in a system designed to muddle the opposition, and discover they are more clear-headed than your own team, the outcome is perhaps inevitable.

Suddenly, Mourinho has suffered back to back home defeats for the first time in his Chelsea reign, his heaviest loss at the Bridge, conceding three here for only the second time in 116 matches in that dug-out.

Never has Mourinho been forced to watch his side picked apart, punished, in such a manner either, a team that never got to grips with its own shape and lost its way completely when he tried to make amends.

Poor defending, right-back Juanfran stealing in to set up the equaliser by Adrian Lopez that cancelled out Fernando Torres' opener and then the one that ended all hope, Arda Turan playing a one-two off the bar to slot home.

And the irony, of course, that the truly fatal blow, the one that sucked the life out of Chelsea, was struck by the man likely to be leading the Blues line next term.

Clive Rose

Real striker: Mourinho will do what it takes to sign Costa 

Chelsea will pay whatever it takes to land Diego Costa as the "real striker" whose absence Mourinho has bewailed all season.

And while the Brazilian-born adopted Spaniard has not convinced totally over the past nine days, when it mattered he thrashed home from the spot after Samuel Eto'o's calamitous misjudgment sent him tumbling.

Of course, there were other grievances and gripes. Mourinho remains furious that UEFA intervened to ensure Thibaut Courtois who joined the post-match celebrations with a fervour that suggested his loyalties are not yet Blue was allowed to play.

That anger will doubtless have intensified after the on-loan Belgian made the save of the match to keep out John Terry's fierce header with the scores level and the tie still in the balance straight after the interval.

In truth, though, Mourinho made a rare blunder with a selection that signalled his concern about Simeone's side, suggested a lack of faith in his own.

While Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta were both involved in Torres' goal - most of the credit should go to Willian - they were an unnatural right-sided pairing, making Chelsea appear unbalanced.

Clive Rose

Tough night: Hazard failed to get into the game 

And with Eden Hazard awful, missing the certainty normally offered by Petr Cech, Chelsea were wobbly in the department where they are normally so strong.

Mark Schwarzer had a lucky early escape, all over the place as Koke's cross-shot floated over him, back off the bar against Gary Cahill and onto the roof of the net.

David Luiz was narrowly wide before Torres profited from Willian's turn out of a cul-de-sac and Azpilicueta's pull-back to turn home via a deflection.

But a minute before the break, the pivotal moment as Chelsea were undone.

Former Blues midfielder Tiago hit to the back-post, Juanfran stole in behind the day-dreaming Hazard and when neither Terry nor Ashley Cole made contact, Adrian bounced home from six yards.

Chelsea had to score the next goal. Courtois denied them and when Mourinho sent on Eto'o for Cole, his first touch sent them over the cliff.

The penalty was a stone-waller, Costa too quick for the veteran striker and while he was booked for preparing the spot, he smashed home.

Luiz' header came back off the post and Courtois but when Juanfran got in round the back again and Arda eventually nudged into the net, Chelsea were shot.

So close to everything. Now, seemingly destined to finish with nothing. It will hurt Mourinho. Bitter defeat. A specialist in semi-final failure?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/chelsea-1-3-atletico-madrid-blues-3480388#ixzz30Sr8BEpN