Real Madrid secured a dramatic victory over city rivals Atletico Madrid in a tense Champions League clash, advancing to the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout heartbreak for Julian Alvarez and his team.
The highly anticipated Madrid derby saw neither side able to find a decisive goal before extra time expired. Atletico had made a dream start when England international Conor Gallagher stunned the Santiago Bernabéu crowd with a goal just 27 seconds into the match, leveling the tie on aggregate after Real’s 2-1 first-leg advantage.
With the game deadlocked, the contest was forced into penalties, where controversy struck. Former Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez slipped while taking his spot-kick but saw the ball find the net. Initially given as a goal, the decision was overturned by VAR after replays showed he had unintentionally struck the ball twice.
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Real Madrid capitalized on the moment, with Fede Valverde confidently converting to put them 3-1 ahead in the shootout. Atletico’s hopes flickered when goalkeeper Jan Oblak denied Lucas Vázquez, but Marcos Llorente’s miss off the crossbar sealed their fate. Antonio Rüdiger stepped up to slot home the decisive penalty, securing Real’s 4-2 shootout victory and booking their place in the quarterfinals, where they will face Arsenal.
The defeat was a bitter pill for Diego Simeone’s men, who had executed a disciplined defensive performance throughout the match, limiting Real’s attacking threats. Atletico’s lively forward Julian Alvarez was denied multiple times by Thibaut Courtois, while Kylian Mbappé struggled to make an impact. When the Frenchman finally broke free, he won a penalty after being brought down by Clement Lenglet. However, Vinicius Jr, who had converted all seven of his previous penalties for Real, squandered the golden opportunity by blasting his shot over the bar.
Despite Atletico’s resilience, Real Madrid maintained their perfect record in Champions League penalty shootouts against their fierce rivals, extending their dominance after victories in the 2014 and 2016 finals. With their hopes of a record-extending 16th Champions League title still alive, the Spanish giants now set their sights on Arsenal in what promises to be another high-stakes showdown.
