Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in a Champions League penalty shootout – again – to set up a Champions League quarter-final clash with Arsenal.
After Atletico had won 1-0 on the night, leaving the tie at 2-2 on aggregate after extra-time, Real defender Antonio Rudiger scored the decisive spot-kick in a 4-2 shootout win after two Atletico players missed.
Marco Llorente’s shot struck the bar after Julian Alvarez slipped and had his penalty strike disallowed after a VAR check ruled that the Argentine had touched the ball twice.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone said he didn’t see a double touch by the Argentina international in the replays but wanted “to believe that if the VAR intervened it’s because it saw something.”
Julian Alvarez was deemed to have hit the ball twice when taking his penalty in the shootout against Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez slipped as he took a penalty in the shootout
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who spent three seasons on loan at Atleti earlier in his career, said: “I felt that he touched the ball twice and I told the referee.
“It’s not easy to see that. It was a bit of bad luck for them there.”
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak added: “It hurts, of course. We played a great match but unfortunately we were a bit unlucky. It’s a shame. It hurts a lot.”
Real came through a tense derby that ended 2-2 on aggregate after extra-time. Atletico had led 1-0 after 90 minutes and extra time at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium to cancel out Real’s 2-1 advantage from last week’s first leg.
Conor Gallagher celebrates his goal
Atletico took the lead with their first attack when England midfielder Conor Gallagher pounced from close range to net the fastest goal scored by an Englishman in Champions League history.
Gallagher scrambled home Atletico Madrid’s opener after just 27 seconds to also become the first Englishman ever to score in a Madrid derby.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior reacts after failing to score a penalty during normal time
It proved to be the only goal of the entire 120 minutes, though Vinicius Jr blazed a second-half penalty high and wide, before being replaced by teenager Endrick in extra time.
Real Madrid also beat Atletico in a shootout to win the 2016 Champions League final – part of a streak of eliminating their city rivals in four straight years.
