Real Madrid once again proved its dominance in high-stakes moments, edging past Atletico Madrid in a tense penalty shootout to secure a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals. The defending champions kept their title hopes alive after a dramatic 4-2 victory in penalties, marking yet another chapter in their long-standing European dominance over their city rivals.
Antonio Rudiger delivered the decisive strike from the spot after Atletico's Marcos Llorente hit the bar and Julian Alvarez's attempt was controversially disallowed, igniting debate across the football world.
Madrid's Familiar Triumph Over Atletico
This victory mirrors Madrid's 2016 Champions League final win, where they also outlasted Atletico in a penalty shootout. The latest triumph adds to an ongoing streak of Madrid eliminating its city rivals in crucial European clashes.
After a tightly contested first-leg advantage of 2-1, Madrid entered the match knowing Atletico would push to overturn the deficit. The hosts wasted no time, scoring within the opening 30 seconds when Conor Gallagher capitalized on a deflected cross from Rodrigo De Paul.
Madrid had a golden chance to regain control in the 70th minute, but Vinícius Júnior fired a penalty kick high over the crossbar, missing an opportunity to seal their progression. His substitution in extra time for young Brazilian star Endrick set the stage for the dramatic conclusion in penalties.
Julian Alvarez's Disallowed Penalty Sparks Controversy
One of the defining moments of the shootout came when Julian Alvarez appeared to successfully convert his penalty, only for it to be ruled out due to an incredibly rare and controversial double-touch violation.
Julián Alvarez has his penalty chalked off for a double touch! pic.twitter.com/UVpQ2RKtse
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 12, 2025
Alvarez slipped as he struck the ball, causing it to deflect off his standing foot before landing in the back of the net. According to FIFA rules, a player must not touch the ball twice during a penalty unless another player intervenes. Since the ball had not deflected off the goalkeeper or post, the referee ruled the goal invalid-leading to furious reactions from Atletico players and widespread debate among fans and pundits.
Quarterfinal Matchups Set
With Madrid's advancement, the Champions League quarterfinal lineup is now complete. They will face Arsenal, who also secured their spot on Wednesday, alongside Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund.
The full quarterfinal matchups are:
Arsenal vs. Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa
Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan
First-leg matches will be played on April 8-9, with the return legs scheduled for the following week.
Madrid's title defense remains intact, but after surviving another grueling battle against their city rivals, the road ahead only gets tougher. Meanwhile, Julian Alvarez's disallowed penalty will undoubtedly remain a major talking point in football for weeks to come.
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This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 4:59 PM.