Real Madrid Edge Past Atletico in Dramatic Penalty Shootout to Reach Champions League Quarter-Finals
Real Madrid secured a hard-fought place in the Champions League quarter-finals after defeating rivals Atletico Madrid 4-2 on penalties, despite a 1-0 extra-time loss in the second leg on Wednesday. The victory sees Madrid continue their dominance over Atletico in the competition, maintaining their record of never being eliminated by their city rivals in Europe.
Atletico came out strong at the Metropolitano Stadium, pressing from the first whistle. Their efforts paid off instantly, with Conor Gallagher scoring just 27 seconds into the game. Rodrigo De Paul’s cross found Gallagher, who pounced on Raul Asencio’s defensive lapse to fire past Thibaut Courtois, levelling the tie on aggregate.
Madrid, shaken by the early goal, struggled to break Atletico’s compact defence. Carlo Ancelotti’s men controlled possession but lacked clear-cut chances. Atletico, meanwhile, posed a constant counter-attacking threat, with Julian Alvarez forcing multiple saves from Courtois. Madrid’s best chance to equalize came in the second half when Kylian Mbappe won a penalty after being fouled by Clement Lenglet. However, Vinicius Junior, facing a hostile crowd, blasted his spot-kick over the bar.
Extra time saw both sides push their limits, but neither could find a decisive goal. The match went to a penalty shootout, where Mbappe and Jude Bellingham converted their penalties for Madrid. Alexander Sorloth scored for Atletico, but controversy arose when Alvarez’s penalty was disallowed for touching the ball twice due to a slip. Despite Jan Oblak saving Lucas Vazquez’s penalty, Marcos Llorente hit the bar, giving Madrid the advantage. Antonio Rudiger stepped up for the final kick, and though Oblak got a hand to it, he couldn’t keep it out.
Madrid’s resilience once again saw them through, setting up a quarter-final clash with Arsenal. Atletico, despite a strong performance, were left heartbroken, with Oblak admitting the defeat "hurts a lot." Ancelotti praised his team's mentality, saying, "We were never out of the tie—at worst, it was even."
