Real Madrid held their nerve to secure a Champions League quarter-final berth with a dramatic 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone’s side outplayed the 15-time European champions for much of the game at the Metropolitano Stadium, but Madrid once again proved their resilience, ensuring a 2-2 aggregate score before prevailing in the shoot-out.
Atletico made a blistering start, taking the lead just 27 seconds in when Conor Gallagher lunged to convert Rodrigo De Paul’s low cross past Thibaut Courtois. The goal wiped out Madrid’s first-leg advantage and set the tone for a fiery contest.
Despite sustained pressure from Atletico, Courtois produced crucial saves to deny Julian Alvarez, while Vinicius Junior squandered a golden opportunity to put Madrid ahead, blazing a penalty high over the bar.
The shoot-out saw controversy when Alvarez’s successful spot-kick was disallowed after VAR determined he had unintentionally struck the ball twice due to a slip. Atletico’s Marcos Llorente also missed, allowing Antonio Rudiger to convert the decisive penalty and send Madrid through to a quarter-final clash with Arsenal.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged his side’s battle, stating, “It’s always a lottery, but we kept our composure.” Atletico, meanwhile, were left heartbroken, with goalkeeper Jan Oblak lamenting, “It hurts a lot—we played a great match but lacked a bit of luck.”
Madrid’s victory marked their sixth penalty shoot-out triumph over their city rivals in European competition, maintaining their dominance in Champions League derbies.
