* Atletico beat Leverkusen 4-2 * Griezmann, Niguez, Gameiro and Torres on target for Spaniards * Leverkusen have never gone past round of 16 * Atletico took revenge for last year's 1-0 loss * Second leg in Spain is on March 15 LEVERKUSEN, Germany, Feb 22 (REUTERS) Atletico Madrid beat hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in a topsy-turvy encounter to take a firm handle on their Champions League round-of-16 tie ahead of the return leg in Spain next month.
Two lethal counter-attacks in the opening 25 minutes put the 2014 and 2016 finalists in the driving seat, with Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann on target, and gave them the edge for a quarter-final spot for the ninth time.