Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Atletico Madrid. The tense clash ended level after two legs and extra time, forcing the Spanish giants into a nail-biting shootout.
Julian Alvarez thought he had successfully converted his penalty, blasting the ball into the roof of the net. However, the former Manchester City striker slipped during the strike, accidentally touching the ball with his standing foot before hitting it with his right.
Real Madrid players immediately protested, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois alerting the referee. VAR confirmed the double touch, which violated FIFA’s rule that a penalty must be struck with a single touch. As a result, Alvarez’s goal was disallowed.
Federico Valverde stepped up next and confidently gave Real a 3-1 lead. Thousands of Atletico fans inside the stadium remained unaware that Alvarez’s penalty had been ruled out, believing the shootout was still level when Angel Correa found the net.
Real’s Lucas Vazquez missed his penalty, giving Atletico a chance to get back into the contest. However, Marcos Llorente’s effort struck the crossbar, wasting a crucial opportunity for Diego Simeone’s side.
Antonio Rudiger then sealed Real Madrid’s victory, calmly slotting his penalty over the line to send Los Blancos through to the next round. The win sets up a mouthwatering quarter-final clash against Arsenal.
Courtois later revealed he immediately noticed Alvarez’s double touch and informed the referee. “I felt Julián had touched the ball twice and I told the referee,” he said. “We didn’t play our best game today, but we won, and that’s what matters.”
Real Madrid will now prepare to face Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who cruised past PSV Eindhoven with a 9-3 aggregate win. With stars like Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr leading the charge, Real aim to continue their quest for another Champions League title.