Real Madrid kept their dream of a record-extending 16th Champions League title alive after defeating city rivals Atletico Madrid 4-2 on penalties in a round-of-16 clash at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday.
Antonio Rüdiger held his nerve to fire the decisive penalty past Jan Oblak after a night filled with controversy, drama, and heartbreak for Diego Simeone’s men, whose dreams were shattered following Julián Álvarez’s disallowed penalty in the shootout.
Penalty Controversy: Álvarez’s Nightmare Moment
With the shootout poised at 2-1 in Real’s favor, Julián Álvarez stepped up to take Atletico’s second penalty.
The Argentine forward found the net, seemingly leveling the scores, only for chaos to ensue. Replays showed that he had slipped, making contact with the ball twice—once with his left foot before striking it cleanly with his right.
Referee Daniele Orsato, after consulting VAR, ruled the penalty invalid, leaving Atletico stunned and their fans in disbelief.
“I felt that he touched the ball twice, and I told the referee,” Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois explained post-match. “It’s not easy to see that, but it was a bit of bad luck for them.”
The decision proved pivotal, with Fede Valverde and Rüdiger converting their penalties to seal Real’s place in the quarter-finals.
Gallagher’s Early Strike Sets Up Tense Affair
Atletico had set the tone for a dramatic evening when England international Conor Gallagher stunned the Bernabéu crowd just 27 seconds into the match.
The midfielder capitalized on a rapid counterattack to prod home and level the tie on aggregate at 2-2.
Real Madrid struggled to break down a disciplined Atletico defense, with the visitors repelling wave after wave of attacks.
The normally clinical Vinícius Júnior had the golden opportunity to swing the tie in Madrid’s favor when Kylian Mbappé was brought down in the box by Clément Lenglet.
However, the Brazilian, who had converted all of his previous seven spot-kicks for Real, skied his effort, keeping Atletico in the contest.
Shootout Heartbreak: Oblak’s Heroics Not Enough
Jan Oblak gave Atletico a glimmer of hope by saving Lucas Vázquez’s penalty, but Marcos Llorente’s miss off the crossbar left the Rojiblancos on the brink.
With a chance to seal victory, Rüdiger stepped up and squeezed his penalty past Oblak, sending Madridistas into raptures as Atletico players collapsed to the ground in despair.
“We knew it would be tough, but we never stopped believing,” Rüdiger said after the match. “Atletico made it difficult for us, but in the end, we got the job done.”
This victory extends Real Madrid’s remarkable record over Atletico in the Champions League.
Since their famous 2014 final victory, Los Blancos have eliminated their city rivals from the competition four times in knockout rounds, including their 2016 final triumph on penalties.
Next up for Carlo Ancelotti’s men is a mouthwatering quarter-final clash against Arsenal, who cruised past PSV Eindhoven with a 9-3 aggregate victory.
The Gunners will be looking to avenge their previous Champions League heartaches against Madrid, setting the stage for another European classic.
As for Atletico, the pain of another Champions League exit at the hands of their fiercest rivals will linger.
Simeone’s side fought valiantly but ultimately fell short, leaving them to focus on domestic competitions for the remainder of the season.
DORTMUND’S RESURGENCE: CAN AND BEIER FIRE GERMAN GIANTS INTO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS
Borussia Dortmund staged a thrilling comeback to book their place in the Champions League quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, defeating Lille 2-1 on Wednesday to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Second-half goals from Emre Can and Maximilian Beier overturned an early strike from Jonathan David, ensuring Dortmund’s progression and setting up a mouthwatering quarterfinal clash against Barcelona.
Lille’s hopes of a historic first-ever quarterfinal appearance were shattered despite a strong campaign that saw them record impressive wins over Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid in the league phase.
The French side got off to a dream start when Jonathan David slid home an Ismaily cutback in the fifth minute to send the home crowd into raptures.
Rémy Cabella then spurned a golden chance to double Lille’s lead, blazing his shot over the bar after a slick team move.
Dortmund responded with a period of dominance, with defender Alexsandro making a crucial block to deny Pascal Groß, whose shot had beaten goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
Chevalier was at his best again moments later, making successive saves in a frantic goalmouth scramble to keep Lille in front.
The home side briefly regained control, with Benjamin André glancing a header just wide, before Dortmund threatened again through Groß before the break.
Dortmund emerged from halftime with renewed intensity and soon found their equalizer. In the 54th minute, Emre Can confidently dispatched a penalty after Thomas Meunier had fouled Serhou Guirassy in the box.
Buoyed by the goal, Dortmund pushed for the winner, and Maximilian Beier delivered in the 65th minute with a stunning strike into the top corner after a clever turn inside the box.
ASTON VILLA CRUISE INTO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS WITH WIN OVER BRUGGE
Unai Emery’s Side Set Up Titanic Clash Against Paris Saint-Germain
Aston Villa stormed into the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in over four decades, delivering a dominant 3-0 victory over Club Brugge in their last-16 second leg on Wednesday.
The win at a raucous Villa Park sealed a 6-1 aggregate triumph and set up a daunting quarterfinal showdown against French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Brugge, trailing 3-1 from the first leg, began the match with intensity and threatened Villa’s backline in the early stages.
However, their hopes of mounting an unlikely comeback were dashed when Kyriani Sabbe was sent off in the 16th minute for dragging down Marcus Rashford as he raced through on goal.
Villa capitalized fully on their numerical advantage in the second half. Substitute Marco Asensio broke the deadlock in the 50th minute, swiveling brilliantly inside the box to fire home after a precise pass from Leon Bailey.
Ian Maatsen doubled the lead just seven minutes later, his side-footed effort taking a deflection past the helpless Brugge goalkeeper.
Asensio then put the finishing touches on a ruthless performance, guiding home a Rashford cutback in the 61st minute to send the Villa faithful into raptures.
Villa’s remarkable European campaign has been fueled by a resurgent squad under Unai Emery, who has transformed the club into a formidable force both domestically and on the continent.
The Spanish manager, a four-time Europa League-winning specialist, now faces one of his biggest challenges yet as his side prepares to take on PSG in the quarterfinals.
