Madrid, Mar 13 (UNI) Real Madrid advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday night, triumphing in a penalty shootout against Atletico Madrid after a 1-0 defeat left the tie ending 2-2 on aggregate.
In the shootout, Julian Alvarez slipped while taking his penalty for Atletico, inadvertently touching the ball twice, which was confirmed after a VAR intervention. This incident shifted the score from 2-2 to 2-1 in favor of Real Madrid, with Fede Valverde extending it to 3-1.
Though Jan Oblak saved from Lucas Vazquez, Marcos Llorente's subsequent miss against the crossbar allowed Antonio Rudiger to seal Real Madrid's progression.
The result was harsh on Atletico, who had been the superior team on the night. Los Colchoneros took an early lead when Conor Gallagher equalized the aggregate score with a close-range finish just 30 seconds after kickoff, scoring what turned out to be the game's only goal.
Raul Asensio's failed clearance allowed the ball to reach Atletico's right flank, where Rodrigo de Paul passed it to Alvarez, whose touch set up Gallagher to slide in and score past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid responded by controlling possession, with Vinicius Junior actively driving down the left wing. Despite this, Atletico's deep defensive setup allowed them to counter-attack, with Alvarez forcing a spectacular save from Courtois in the 25th minute.
Courtois was called upon again in the 35th minute when Antoine Griezmann found space, setting up Alvarez, whose shot was once more saved by Courtois as Atletico continued to create better chances.
Early in the second half, Courtois showcased his skill by saving Alvarez's strike from outside the penalty area. Atletico maintained its dominance, forcing several corners and narrowly missing with a Clement Lenglet header.
Despite Atletico's control, Real Madrid capitalized on a counter-attack when Griezmann lost possession. The ball found its way to Kylian Mbappe, who charged into the Atletico box, where Lenglet fouled him. Vinicius Junior took the resultant penalty but blazed it over the bar.
Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy left the field with a muscle injury, to be replaced by Fran Garcia. Atletico introduced Alexander Sorloth and Angel Correa, with Rodrigo de Paul exiting before extra time.
The intensity was maintained in the additional 30 minutes, with both Correa and Valverde coming close, but neither side broke the deadlock, leading to the shootout where fortune ultimately favored Real Madrid.
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