A Madrid derby of intensity, drama, and controversy ended in a Real Madrid victory, as they once again emerged victorious over city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
Atletico had the perfect start, with Conor Gallagher poking home inside 30 seconds, leveling the tie on aggregate. Diego Simeone’s side looked the more dangerous in attack, creating several opportunities. However, Real Madrid, as always, found a way to fight back.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 70th minute when Clement Lenglet fouled Kylian Mbappe, awarding Real Madrid a penalty. However, Vinicius Jr. failed to capitalize, ballooning his effort over the bar, leaving the match tied.
With no winner in sight, the game moved into extra time, and then to penalties, where Real Madrid’s experience proved decisive.
With Real leading 2-1 in the penalty shootout, Julian Alvarez stepped up but slipped during his strike, accidentally making contact with the ball twice before it hit the net. VAR intervened, ruling the goal out for a double touch, a moment that tilted the game in Madrid’s favor.
After Federico Valverde scored to strengthen Real’s lead, Marcos Llorente struck the bar, handing Antonio Rudiger the opportunity to seal the victory. His weakly struck effort just managed to roll into the net, securing Real Madrid’s passage to the quarter-finals.
While Madrid celebrated another knockout victory, questions remain about their performance. They will need to improve significantly if they are to win their 16th Champions League title.
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