UCL: Real Madrid Beat Atletico On Penalties To Keep Champions League Title Defence Alive

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid once again made their way to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League 2024-2025 after beating Atletico Madrid on penalties in the second leg of the Round of 16 at the Metropolitano Stadium on March 13. The Whites had a 2-1 lead from the first leg but conceded a single goal in the second leg, forcing the game into the penalties, where the Los Blancos clinched a 4-2 win.

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Real Madrid Concedes First Goal In 37 Seconds Against Atletico

Soon after the game started, Real Madrid conceded a goal before they even had the time to settle in. Conor Gallagher gave La Rojas a breakthrough in just 37 seconds from Rodrigo De Paul's low cross and leveled the aggregate. Atletico were the more dominant side in the first half, forcing Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to make crucial saves. Even though the hosts didn't have possession, they still continued to put pressure on Real Madrid.

Throughout the game, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe were marked by the Atleti defenders, which held the Los Blancos from making a comeback. In the second half, Vinicius got the perfect chance to capitalize on their lead, but the Brazilian attacker failed to convert the penalty in the 70th minute.

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Following the first goal, Atletico failed to score a single goal. Later in the second half, both sides were more focused on keeping their backline strong. During the penalties, Kylian Mbappe took the first spotkick and got the back of the net without a problem. For Atleti, Alexander Sorloth came forward to take their first penalty and converted it without a problem. Both Jude Belling and Federico Valverde scored for the Los Merengues.

Rudiger's Penalty Helps Real Madrid Win Over Atletico

However, Julian Alvarez's spotkick was denied after a thorough VAR check. Later in the penalties, the Whites' Vazquez missed the spotkick, and for the Reds, Marcos Llorente's attempt failed to beat Courtois. In the end, Antonio Rudiger's kick helped Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in the second-leg match of the Champions Trophy 2024-2025 R16.

In the next round of the prestigious league, Real Madrid will take on Arsenal on April 8 and 15, respectively.