text: Punched, elbowed, apparently bitten. Just another night for an Atletico Madrid striker. Yet this was not Diego Costa circa 2010 to 2014. This was Mario Mandzukic involved in bust-up after bust-up as he shed blood and sweat against great rivals Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderon. When Atletico allowed Costa to sign for Chelsea on July 1, 2014, Diego Simeone may have fretted about losing his street fighter. Not for long, however. Just nine days later, he bought Mandzukic from Bayern Munich, and the Croatia international looked every bit as aggressive on Tuesday night. Blood pours from Mario Mandzukic's face during the Champions League quarter-final first leg in Madrid . Sergio Ramos and Atletico Madrid striker Mandzukic continually clashed on Tuesday night during the tie . Mandzukic proved he is a warrior with his performance against Real Madrid, just as Diego Costa was . Costa gives John Terry, who is now his Chelsea team-mate, a stern look during a Champions League tie . Nobody elbowed their way to the top quite like Costa – from the streets of Brazil, to Spain, to England – and the same went for Mandzukic in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. The 28-year-old came to blows with defenders Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal  – drawing blood after an elbow to the face from the former, while receiving a punch, and possibly a bite, from the latter. ITV pundit Paul Scholes said Mandzukic 'made a meal of things' yet the evidence was there for all to see, pouring down his face. Round two awaits at the Bernabeu next week. Yet Mandzukic was as culpable as he was the victim. He committed seven fouls, compared to 11 in total by Real Madrid, and it was more than any player has managed in a Champions League game against the winners of La Decima before. The long-ball tactic by Atletico was not working, nor did Mandzukic have enough pace to beat a defence boasting Raphael Varane. He had zero shots on or off target, completed just 18 passes over 90 minutes, and lacked the pace and darting runs Costa delivers. Yet this was about playing rough, rather than scoring goals, and he played the role of warrior to perfection. So much so that Simeone – albeit riskily – substituted his partner, Antoine Griezmann, after 77 minutes instead of the man on thin ice. Mandzukic clashed with Dani Carvajal during the quarter-final first leg and played rough all night . Mandzukic's heat map, who had zero shots on or off target, and completed just 18 passes over 90 minutes . Mandzukic, despite failing to conjure a chance on Tuesday night, is a natural striker. His CV includes Dinamo Zagreb, Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich, and he was imposing at every club. Fifty-six goals in 132 appearances in Croatia's Prva HNL. Fifty-three  in 110  in Germany's Bundesliga. All that added to Simeone feeling Mandzukic was next in line at a forward-thinking club that have a history of great strikers which stretches back decades. No sooner had Fernando Torres left in 2007 for Liverpool, for example, than El Nino was replaced. Sergio Aguero turned up, alongside Diego Forlan, and Torres was old news. Aguero was deemed irreplaceable, until those in Madrid were introduced to Radamel Falcao the same year Kun left. Then, when Falcao left for Monaco in 2013, it was Costa's turn, and so on. Sergio Aguero signed for Atletico in 2006 and scored 74 goals in 175 appearances in La Liga in five years . Radamel Falcao kept up an impressive 0.76 goals-to-game ratio during his time with Atletico from 2011 . Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink proved a great striker for Atletico as the club produce top forwards continually . No sooner had Fernando Torres left in 2007 for Liverpool than El Nino was replaced at Vicente Caldero . Mandzukic's tattoo on his lower back was on show, and it read: 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Trouble for the striker is his ink – written in Hebrew – is backwards AND has grammatical mistakes so makes no sense! The Spanish club don't fret losing a striker. They regroup, consider it a temporary inconvenience, and buy a replacement. They have been doing so ever since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 1999, and Christian Vieri the year before, and even further still. It's the Atletico way. It is not unlike what has happened with goalkeepers at the club. David de Gea left in 2011 and was replaced by Thibaut Courtois, only for the previously-anonymous Jan Oblak to take over this year. Much like their record with strikers, it looks inspired, as the 22-year-old who cost €16million (£11.5m) thwarted Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez almost single-handedly. And so when Simeone lost Costa to Chelsea, he signed Antoine Griezmann and Mandzukic. And if the latter's showing against Real is anything to go by, then the Atletico manager bought just about the closest thing he could find to replace the Barclays Premier League's joint-top goalscorer. Mandzukic and Ramos exchange words during a heated battle between the Madrid rivals on Tuesday night . Mandzukic shows off his battle wounds during the match between the two great Madrid rivals .
target: Atletico Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid: Read Martin Samuel's report from Spain .
  Mario Mandzukic was battered and bruised during the quarter-final tie .
  The Atletico striker came to blows with  Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal .
  Atletico have a history of buying great strikers after selling their forwards .
  Diego Simeone has bought the closest thing to Diego Costa he could find .
  Mandzukic differs from Costa in style of play but proved as aggressive .
  He and Antoine Griezmann can become suitable replacements at Atletico .