Atletico Madrid would have had to mount one of the biggest comebacks in Champions League history to prevent Real Madrid reaching the final.

An early goal from Saul Niguez and an Antoine Griezmann penalty briefly put Los Blancos on the ropes, but Isco's strike effectively put the tie to bed thanks to the pesky away goals rule.

Zinedine Zidane's men ultimately eased through 4-2 on aggregate and will now meet Zizou's former club Juventus in Cardiff on June 3.

Ask any neutral, and they'll admit they would love to see the Old Lady triumph for the sake of Gianluigi Buffon. However, Real might just be too strong for the Bianconeri.

With the title race in their own hands, Zidane has been operating with 'Madrid B' in La Liga. The fact that players like Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez are considered backup options just sums up the ridiculous resources at the Bernabeu club.

Indeed, even Isco has struggled for minutes this season. The Spanish international has been hailed for his performance at the Vicente Calderon, but he hasn't been first choice for much of the campaign.

Such is the wealth of talent in the starting XI that several others seem to go unnoticed. Like Isco, Karim Benzema isn't always among the main talking points, but his footwork before assisting the goal was absolutely beautiful.

On the topic of underappreciated magicians, we also need to talk about Luka Modric.

The former Tottenham man is often understated in the way he keeps Real ticking over, but there's a strong argument that he's the best playmaker in the world right now.

Modric destroys Atleti duo 

The 31-year-old is one of the architects who has redefined his position; gone are the days of the Juan Roman Riquelme style midfielder, but Modric's influence is no less important.

The Croatian gave a reminder of just how lethal he can be with one glorious bit of skill to take both Gabi and Koke out of the game at once. Check it out below:

There's something incredibly Atletico Madrid about winning the last derby at their famous old ground but still managing to lose to Real.

The achievements of Zidane's men shouldn't be underestimated, though, and they now have the chance to become the first team to retain the trophy since the Champions League was revamped in 1992.

Will Real Madrid win the Champions League? Have your say in the comments.