Real Madrid, the unstoppable defending champions, secure the Quarter-Final spot

Real Madrid has moved into the Champions League quarter-finals after a tense penalty shootout victory over Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16.

Having won the first leg 2-1, Madrid entered the second leg at Wanda Metropolitano.

The match ultimately came down to penalties, where Real Madrid triumphed 4-2.

However, the penalty shootout sparked heated debate, as a controversial decision left Atletico Madrid fuming.

The match kicked off in an electrifying fashion with Atletico catching Madrid off guard.

Midfielder Conor Gallagher stunned the visitors by scoring just 23 seconds into the game.

It was an early strike that left the crowd buzzing and Madrid with a tough challenge.

From then on, the game settled into a defensive battle, with Atletico focusing on a counter-attacking strategy, while Real Madrid, with their star-studded attack of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham, struggled to break down the Atletico defense.

Julian Alvarez was a constant threat for Atletico, launching several counter-attacks, but none of his efforts could beat Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.

At the 70-minute mark, Madrid was handed a golden opportunity to level the scoreline when Mbappe was fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty.

Vinicius Junior, stepping up to take the penalty, surprisingly missed, leaving the scoreline unchanged.

The tension built as neither team managed to score in the remaining 50 minutes of play including extra time, and the game proceeded to a penalty shootout.

Atletico’s Alexander Sorloth and Real Madrid’s Mbappe both converted their penalties without issue. 

Then, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham also scored, leaving the score tied. 

However, the drama began when Atletico’s Alvarez took his penalty. Alvarez slipped during his run-up, but the ball still went into the net. 

It was a moment of relief for Atletico, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) stunned everyone by disallowing the goal. 

The reason? VAR showed that Alvarez had touched the ball twice during his slip—first with his left foot, then again after he regained his footing.

Atletico’s hopes briefly surged as Angel Correa scored, and Real Madrid’s captain Lucas Vazquez missed his penalty. 

But, just when Atletico thought they might get back into the shootout, Marcos Llorente, another Madrid academy product, struck the crossbar.

With the score at 3-2 in Madrid’s favor, Antonio Rudiger calmly stepped up to take Madrid’s fifth penalty and converted it. 

However, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak appeared to have grazed the ball with his fingers just before it crossed the line.

The match ended with Madrid advancing, but the controversy surrounding Alvarez’s disallowed penalty lingered. 

Atletico coach Diego Simeone voiced his frustration with the decision, while Courtois defended the referee’s choice, claiming it was the correct call. 

“In the end, penalty shootouts are a lottery. I thought Alvarez touched the ball twice, and I told the referee. It wasn’t easy to see, and it was just bad luck for them,” Courtois said after the match.

Oblak, too, expressed his disappointment, especially after a hard-fought game. 

“It’s painful because we played a good match. We were unlucky, especially with Julian’s penalty. We fell behind in that moment, and it was such a disappointing loss… it’s heartbreaking,” Oblak said.

Despite the controversy, Real Madrid will now focus on their quarter-final matchup, while Atletico Madrid will have to regroup after a painful exit from the competition.