Atletico Madrid are in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 1997 after knocking out seven-time winners AC Milan.

Diego Costa was their hero with two goals that made him the first player ever to score seven goals in his first five Champions League appearances.

He set the ball rolling with a spectacular opener after just three minutes and wrapped things up with five minutes remaining with his second goal.

Milan went down fighting but they could have no complaints at their exit at the hands of Diego Simeone’s team. Simeone was playing for Atletico in 1997 when they were last at Europe’s top table. He has built a team in his own teak-tough likeness and he has one of Europe’s most unstoppable strikers leading them.

Atletico Madrid got themselves in front with Costa launching himself at a superbly floated Koke cross and arrowing it past Abbiati with an outstretched left boot.

That was Costa’s sixth goal in his first five Champions League games, something that no-one had managed in the competition since Thierry Henry. It also took him past Sergio Aguero as Atletico Madrid’s leading scorer in the European Cup.

Juanfran had robbed Michael Essien in the build up to the goal before feeding Koke, whose connection with Costa has played a huge part in Atletico Madrid’s success this season.

Little wonder that both are Premier League targets.

Costa had started brilliantly and he drew an obstruction from Rami who was booked as Milan rocked back on their heels at such intense early Atletico pressure.

The only negative for the home side was that Raul Garcia had also been booked by Mark Clattenburg and will miss the first leg of the quarter-final.

But as Atletico Madrid’s pace slowed, Milan crept into the game. Mario Balotelli – whose clash with Atletico’s Uruguayan centre-back Diego Godin was a World Cup dress-rehearsal – fired a free-kick straight into the wall, downing Costa in the process.

Milan equalized on 26 minutes when Kaka met Poli’s cross from the right and beat on-loan Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois at his near post. Kaka could then have made it two when he headed another Poli cross from inside the penalty area just over Courtois’ bar.

That miss proved even more costly five minutes before half-time when Diego Costa allowed a long ball forward to bounce off his chest and perfectly into the path of Arda Turan, who sent it past Abbiati via a deflection.

That tipped the balance back in Atletico’s favour and a spectacular overhead kick from Raul Garcia from a Juanfran cross should have made it 3-1. Tempers flared just before half-time, Balotelli’s primarily, and despite Kaka trying to calm the former City striker down, he was booked by Clattenburg.

Atletico started the second half as they finished the first with Costa racing away and releasing Gabi, whose shot clipped the bar.

Costa went for another acrobatic volley but this time connected with Rami’s head and the French defender was furious he got no sympathy from Clattenburg. Atletico kept pushing forward and a Miranda header was well held by Abbiati. Raul Garcia then blazed over from just inside the area.

Robinho had come on at half-time and his cross shot was palmed away by Courtois. He then shot from distance as Milan became more and more desperate. And then their difficult job became impossible as Raul Garcia rose in the penalty area to meet Gabi’s free-kick to make it 3-1 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate.

The 55,000 Atletico Madrid fans inside the Calderon were now celebrating their team’s passage into the last eight. Not even another Robinho long shot that this time hit the bar could stop the celebrations.

The volume went up a few more decibels when Costa smashed in his second and Atletico’s fourth.

Spain have snatched one hell of a striker from under Brazil’s nose and he is just one of the reasons why no team will want them in the quarter-final draw on the 21st.

—Daily Mail