Penalties and VAR Seal Real Madrid’s Dominance Over Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid, the defending champions, defeated their city rivals Atletico Madrid once again in the UEFA Champions League, winning 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 0-1 defeat in regular and extra time in the second leg of the Round of 16.
This marked the sixth encounter between the two teams in the competition, with Real Madrid emerging victorious in the previous five, including in the finals of the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 editions, and now securing a spot in the quarterfinals through penalties.
The match at the Metropolitano Stadium saw Atletico Madrid take an early lead with a goal from Englishman Conor Gallagher in the first 27 seconds. The scoreline was tied on aggregate after Atletico Madrid lost 1-2 in the first leg. The two teams went into extra time without any changes to the score, leading to a penalty shootout, which Real Madrid won 4-2. They will now face Arsenal in the quarterfinals.
The match also marked a special occasion for Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, who reached his 75th UEFA Champions League match with Real Madrid, becoming the first coach to achieve this feat with the club. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was crucial, saving several dangerous attempts from Atletico. Brazilian Vinicius Junior missed a penalty in the 70th minute.
In the penalty shootout, VAR ruled out a successful penalty from Atletico’s Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, as the ball had been touched with both of his feet after a slip during the shot. Courtois then saved a shot from Marcos Llorente before Antonio Rüdiger scored the decisive penalty for Real Madrid.
Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals despite a 2-2 draw at home to PSV Eindhoven, as they had won the first leg 7-1.
The Gunners took the lead twice with goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko (6′) and Declan Rice (37′). PSV Eindhoven responded with goals from Ivan Perišić (18′) and Suhayb Driouch (70′).
Arsenal played the match without several of their key players, as manager Mikel Arteta chose to rest them following the comfortable first-leg victory, preparing for their upcoming Premier League derby against Chelsea.
Dortmund and Aston Villa Also Advance
Borussia Dortmund, last season’s runner-up, progressed to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Lille after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Lille took the lead early with a goal from Canadian striker Jonathan David (5′), but Dortmund equalized through Emre Can (54′, penalty) and then scored the winner with Maximilian Bayer (65′).
This result denied Lille a first-ever quarterfinal appearance in the competition and set up a quarterfinal clash with Barcelona.
Aston Villa secured their passage to the next round with a 3-0 win over Club Brugge, having already won the first leg 3-1.
The English side’s victory was thanks to a brace from Marco Asensio (50′ & 61′), and a second-half goal from Ian Maatsen (57′). Asensio, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, now has eight goals for Villa, marking his third brace for the club.
Aston Villa, aiming to replicate their 1982 European Cup title, will face Paris Saint-Germain in the next round after PSG eliminated Liverpool in a penalty shootout following a 1-0 win in each leg.
