The Champions League curse continues for Atletico Madrid, as their bitter rivals Real Madrid knocked them out yet again. Despite winning the second leg 1-0 at the Metropolitano, Atletico fell in the penalty shootout (4-2), allowing Real to secure a place in the quarterfinals. This marks the sixth time in six UCL meetings that the Blancos have eliminated the Colchoneros.
The match was tense but lacked clear-cut chances. Atletico struck early, with Gallagher tapping in a De Paul cross just 30 seconds after kickoff. Real struggled to break through Atletico’s solid defense and relied on Courtois to deny Alvarez twice. The game’s turning point came in the 68th minute when Mbappé forced Lenglet into a foul inside the box. However, Vinicius shockingly sent the penalty over the bar, keeping Atletico in control. Correa later came close to sealing the deal, but extra time was inevitable.
In the penalty shootout, luck deserted Atletico. Alvarez thought he had scored, but the VAR disallowed the goal for a double touch. Moments later, Llorente smashed his attempt against the crossbar. Real, on the other hand, remained clinical, with Rudiger netting the decisive penalty, just as he did last year in Manchester. Up next, Real Madrid will face Arsenal in the quarterfinals.
Champions League: Inter and Bayern cruise through, Barcelona ease past Benfica
11 Mar - 23:36 •
2' min
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund overturned their first-leg draw with a 2-1 victory at Lille, securing a quarterfinal clash with Barcelona. Arsenal comfortably progressed after a 2-2 draw with PSV, while Aston Villa cruised past Bruges 3-0, with Asensio bagging a brace and Maatsen adding another goal.
