Real Madrid secured a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals, defeating Atletico Madrid 4-2 on penalties after a 1-0 loss in extra time on Wednesday. Despite a shaky performance at the Metropolitano, the 15-time champions overcame a 2-2 aggregate draw. Next, they face Arsenal.
Atletico struck early with Conor Gallagher’s goal just 27 seconds in, leveling the tie. However, Real Madrid fought back. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made crucial saves against Julian Alvarez, keeping his team alive. Although Vinicius Junior missed a penalty, Madrid’s resilience shone in the shoot-out. Antonio Rudiger sealed the win after Atletico’s Marcos Llorente and Alvarez faltered.
Real Madrid beat Atleti on penalties!#UCL pic.twitter.com/UyrD4WOz82
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 12, 2025Penalty Controversy Steals Spotlight
The shoot-out wasn’t without drama. Alvarez’s penalty was disallowed after a VAR review ruled he touched the ball twice due to a slip. “The ball didn’t move,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone protested. Despite this, Carlo Ancelotti called penalties “a lottery” and praised his “coldest players” for stepping up.
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/tbakgpdebf
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 12, 2025Atletico dominated much of the game, leveraging their fiery home crowd. Yet, their history of Champions League losses to Madrid— including finals in 2014 and 2016—haunted them again. “We lacked luck,” goalkeeper Jan Oblak admitted. The first leg’s cautious approach left them chasing, but they couldn’t overturn Madrid’s edge.
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This Real Madrid Champions League victory marks their sixth straight penalty triumph over Atletico. Ancelotti noted, “We were never out of the tie.” With stars like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham shining, Madrid now prepares for a blockbuster clash with Arsenal.
