Real Madrid beat city rivals Atletico 4-2 on penalties to reach the Champions League quarter-finals following an enthralling last-16 tie which ended 2-2 after extra time in a raucous atmosphere at Metropolitano on Wednesday.
1
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger celebrates with teammates after the match. (Reuters)
Antonio Rudiger converted the winning spot-kick for Real after their second-leg match finished 1-0 to Atletico thanks to an early goal from midfielder Conor Gallagher, while Vinicius Jr. missed a late second-half penalty for Real.
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez scores a penalty during the penalty shootout wich is later disallowed after a VAR review for a double touch. (Reuters)
2
Atletico were fuming after forward Julian Alvarez had his shootout penalty ruled out by the referee. He slipped and his left foot slightly touched the ball before he kicked it with his right foot, making it two touches and invalidating a strike that would have levelled the shootout at 2-2.
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved a spot-kick by Lucas Vazquez but Marcos Llorente stroked his effort in off the post, leaving Rudiger to seal victory for defending champions Real who are bidding for a record-extending 16th European Cup win.
The Spanish side will face Arsenal in the last eight.
3
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger scores a penalty past Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak to win the penalty shootout. (Reuters)
"In the end, a penalty shootout is a lottery," Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told Spanish TV Movistar Plus.
"I sense that (Alvarez) touched the ball twice and I told the referee. It's not easy to see and it's bad luck for them. "We didn't play our best game but we got through and that's the important thing."
4
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery and Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen. (Reuters)
Emery proud of Villa success
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is thrilled to have steered his side into a Champions League quarter-final, but now wants even more as they face a daunting clash with Paris St Germain.
"For our club, it is very important to be in the Champions League quarter-final, to play against Paris St Germain is something we have to be proud of," said Emery after Wednesday's defeat of Club Brugge in the last 16.
5
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio celebrates scoring their third goal with Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford and Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans. (Reuters)
"We are in this level, we have to be proud, but we want more. We want to compete against the best teams in the world. Now our priority is to try to be close to the level we are facing."
Emery, who has won the Europa League four times, said PSG would be formidable opponents after they defeated Liverpool to set up the quarter-final clash.
"Of course to play a quarter-final is fantastic, we are very excited, very motivated," he said.
6
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
"To play against PSG is very difficult. They showed their capacity playing against Liverpool, the best team in the Premier League, the best team in Europe until yesterday."
The Villa manager, who was PSG coach from 2016-18, was disappointed with his side's first-half performance against Brugge in the second leg of their knockout, when they failed to score after the visitors had a man sent off. But it all came good with three goals after the break for a 6-1 aggregate victory.
7
Borussia Dortmund's Emre Can and Julian Ryerson celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
Second-half comeback sends Dortmund into quarters
Borussia Dortmund fought back to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the second year in a row as second-half goals by Emre Can and Maximilian Beier gave them a deserved 2-1 win at Lille in their last-16 return leg on Wednesday.
8
Borussia Dortmund's Emre Can celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Can scored from the penalty spot to cancel out Jonathan David's early opener before Beier netted the winner as the German side, who won the competition in 1997 and finished runners-up last season, wrapped up a 3-2 aggregate victory.
They will face Barcelona for a place in the semi-finals.
9
Lille's Andre Gomes looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)
It was a cruel end for Lille, whose hopes of reaching the competition's quarters for the first time were dashed after a promising campaign in which they had qualified directly for the last 16 from the league phase with notable victories over Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
"We are extremely relieved because, on the one hand, it was enough to progress and, on the other, because we also put in a really good performance. We had many, many chances to score in the first half," Dortmund midfielder Sebastian Kehl said.
"The team didn't let up in the second half either, and this victory is more than deserved. In the end, we just kept at it, kept the tempo and intensity high and therefore always believed that we could turn this game around."
10
Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko celebrates scoring their first goal with Raheem Sterling. (Reuters)
Arsenal ease through to quarter-finals as PSV restore pride
Arsenal set up a Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid with a 9-3 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven after a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their last-16 clash on Wednesday.
Progress was already a formality for the London club after their stunning 7-1 victory in the Netherlands last week and when Oleksandr Zinchenko blasted them ahead in the fifth minute, PSV would have feared another hammering.
11
PSV Eindhoven's Ivan Perisic celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
But Ivan Perisic replied for the visitors with a sublime finish in the 18th minute to give the thousands of boisterous PSV fans something to cheer.
12
Arsenal's Declan Rice celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates. (Reuters)
Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front from Raheem Sterling's pinpoint cross before halftime but PSV earned a deserved reward for a vastly-improved display as Couhaib Driouech calmly chipped in a 70th-minute leveller.
With the outcome long since decided, swathes of home supporters opted for an early getaway but PSV's army of fans stayed until the end and almost saw their side snatch victory as substitute Luuk de Jong headed narrowly wide in stoppage time.
Arsenal's easy progress was not without a cost as the impressive Sterling, given a rare start, was booked late on for a rash tackle and he will now miss the first leg of next month's quarter-final at home to Real Madrid.