‘Ever seen anything like it?’: Real’s bitter shootout controversy as PL sides progress — CL Wrap

Real Madrid survived a controversial penalty shootout against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid, while Premier League outfits Arsenal and Aston Villa comfortably progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals.

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- SHOOTOUT CONTROVERSY -

Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.

Diego Simeone’s side outplayed the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano stadium for much of the game, but Madrid have never been eliminated by Atletico in the competition and they battled hard after Conor Gallagher’s first-minute opener to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw.

Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid.

Atletico seemed likely to end a history of being dominated by Madrid in Europe but Los Blancos have the knack of survival down to a fine art and took the game to penalties.

In the shoot-out Julian Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was ruled out as he touched the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.

Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico and Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions.

Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals.

Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this the first time the derby has been played at Atletico’s new home in the Champions League.

After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative.

MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 12: Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid scores the team's second penalty in the penalty shoot out, which is later ruled out following a VAR Review due to an improper kick, during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 second leg match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F. at Estadio Metropolitano on March 12, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

They came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just 27 seconds through Gallagher, levelling the tie on aggregate.

Rodrigo De Paul’s low ball in from the right was not cut out by Raul Asencio and former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher lunged in to beat Courtois from close range.

Atletico were content to sit deep and soak up pressure as Real Madrid pushed the ball around in their territory but were also ready to spring forward on the counter.

With a strong hand Courtois batted away a powerful Alvarez effort as Atletico sought a second, then denied the Argentine again at his near post before half-time.

The Belgian goalkeeper made another save to deny Alvarez soon after the break too, as Atletico continued to threaten and Jan Oblak was still untested.

- High tension -

With Atletico controlling the game, Ancelotti brought on Eduardo Camavinga and Lucas Vazquez in search of fresh energy.

Madrid soon produced their best attack of the game, with superstar trio Vinicius, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe combining on a rapid counter.

Mbappe skipped away from Jose Gimenez and then was dragged down by the desperate Clement Lenglet for a penalty before he could shoot.

After the French forward missed spot-kicks against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao earlier in the season, Ancelotti said Vinicius was his team’s primary taker.

So it was the Brazilian forward who stepped up, facing down a red wall of whistling Atletico fans behind the goal, and buckled under the pressure, firing high and wide of the target.

Correa almost snatched Atletico victory in the last minute but hammered a vicious half-volley over the crossbar, and the match went to extra time.

Madrid shaded the additional period as both teams looked tired but pushed themselves to their limits with the match on a knife-edge.

Mbappe stepped up first from the spot and sent Oblak the wrong way, with Bellingham following suit after Alexander Sorloth netted for Atletico.

Alvarez slipped as he smashed home the hosts’ second penalty and after a VAR review it was ruled out as he had touched the ball twice as he struck it.

Oblak saved from Vazquez’s weak penalty to put Atletico back on track but it was short-lived as Llorente crashed his penalty off the bar.

Oblak dived the right way for Rudiger’s decisive penalty but could not keep it out as Madrid marched into the last eight, where they will take on Arsenal.

- GUNNERS PILE ON NINE -

Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality.

Arsenal, with seven changes from Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a thunderous finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front.

PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week’s humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a fine goal from Couhaib Driouech.

Arsenal were waiting to find out their opponents after the final whistle because Real Madrid and Atletico were locked at 2-2 on aggregate at the end of normal time.

The Gunners have never won the Champions League and have not won a European trophy since the now-defunct 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup.

Mike Arteta’s men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV.

Raheem Sterling received the ball on the right of the Arsenal attack and found his former Manchester City teammate Zinchenko, who glided along the 18-yard box before unleashing a superb left-footed shot past Walter Benitez.

Former Tottenham player Perisic levelled in the 18th minute and Raya had to be alert to produce a fingertip save from the lively Driouech moments later.

But the home side were back in front in the 37th minute Sterling, who has been out of favour under Arteta despite his lack of forward options, charged down the right and produced a teasing cross that Rice headed home.

Raya produced another fine save 10 minutes into the second half, diving full length to his left to keep out an effort from Isaac Babadi.

But PSV were level with 20 minutes to go after Moroccan youth international Driouech, making his first Champions League start, dinked the ball over the onrushing Arsenal goalkeeper.

The Dutch champions were now on top but neither side could find a winner.

Barcelona storm into Champions League QF | 00:38

- VILLA BOOK PSG SHOWDOWN -

Marco Asensio starred as Aston Villa beat 10-man Club Brugge 3-0 on Wednesday to book a Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Asensio came off the bench to strike twice in the second half of the last-16 second leg at Villa Park.

The in-form Spanish forward has netted seven times since joining on loan from PSG in the January transfer window and is set for a reunion with his parent club in the last eight.

Brugge had Kyriani Sabbe sent off for a professional foul on Marcus Rashford early in the first half and Asensio ensured Villa eventually took advantage.

Ian Maatsen scored in between Asensio’s brace as Unai Emery’s side romped to a 6-1 aggregate victory.

With Prince William, a noted Villa fan, celebrating in the stands, the Premier League outfit are through to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 42 years.

Their exit against Juventus at that stage in 1982-83 was Villa’s last appearance in the European Cup -- the forerunner to the Champions League -- until this season.

Emery’s men are the first team to reach the Champions League quarter-finals in their debut season in the competition since Atalanta in 2019-20.

Wins against Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Celtic are among the Champions League highlights for Emery’s men this term.

PSG are next in their sights after the Ligue 1 leaders’ penalty shootout win at Liverpool on Tuesday.

Facing PSG in April will have extra meaning for Emery, who spent two turbulent seasons in charge at PSG, winning the French title in 2018 but struggling in the Champions League.

It is only the second time Emery has made it past the Champions League last 16 after he took Villarreal to the semi-finals in 2022.

A repeat of their famous European Cup-winning campaign in 1982 might prove beyond Villa, but they have created memories of lifetime in their fairytale run this season.

As fireworks crackled over Villa Park before kick-off, fans in the Holte End unfurled a huge flag emblazoned with the motto “Prepared”.

It was a message their team initially seemed to ignore.

Brugge captain Hans Vanaken glanced a header just wide of the far post in a confident start from the visitors.

Raphael Onyedika’s goal-bound was blocked by Villa defender Ezri Konsa, a chance that provoked anxious groans from fretting fans.

Villa lost 1-0 at Brugge in the league phase and needed two goals in the final eight minutes to take control in the last-16 first leg.

But Brugge had never won in England in 14 trips and those nervous Villa supporters need not have worried as the tension was lifted in an instant by Rashford’s blistering pace.

Accelerating onto Emiliano Martinez’s long punt in the 17th minute, Rashford was hauled down by Sabbe on the edge of the area, with the Brugge defender dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

From the free-kick, Youri Tielemans’ drive forced Simon Mignolet to make a sprawling save low to his right.

Emery made an inspired double substitution at the interval, sending on Asensio and Leon Bailey in a move that paid immediate dividends.

The pair combined to break the deadlock in the 50th minute as Bailey’s pass reached Asensio inside the Brugge area and he swivelled to finish with aplomb.

Asensio should have scored again moments later, but the 29-year-old’s shot cannoned back off the post.

With Villa fans singing songs of praise to Emery, Maatsen doubled the lead in the 57th minute.

Morgan Rogers’ nimble footwork worked space for a cross to Maatsen, whose close-range effort deflected past Mignolet.

Asensio wrapped up another memorable European night for Villa four minutes later, meeting Rashford’s low cross with a clinical finish from six yards.

Utd eyes historic move from Old Trafford | 01:24

- DORTMUND FIGHT BACK -

Borussia Dortmund recovered from losing an early goal to fight back and beat Lille 2-1 in France in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the quarter-finals.

Jonathan David gave Lille an early lead on the night, putting the French club ahead in the tie after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw.

However, Emre Can squared things by converting a penalty for Dortmund on 54 minutes, and Maximilian Beier then fired in a fine winner for last season’s runners-up.

Dortmund will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals next month, having already lost 3-2 at home to the Catalans during the league phase in December.

The result is a huge boost for Dortmund and their recently-appointed coach Niko Kovac, coming as the club languishes in 10th place in the Bundesliga.

“For the whole 90 minutes we controlled the game. It was a fantastic performance,” Kovac told UEFA.com.

He will now come up against a Barcelona side coached by Hansi Flick, his former assistant at Bayern Munich.

The result is a massive disappointment for Lille, who were hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history after an outstanding performance during the league phase.

They finished seventh out of 36 teams, beating both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on the way, while also holding Juventus and putting six past Feyenoord.

Their coach Bruno Genesio insisted it had been a “satisfying” campaign despite the exit, but club president Olivier Letang was unhappy about the decision to award the penalty from which Dortmund equalised.

“I want to emphasise how good a run we had, even if we are frustrated,” before questioning the decision to appoint as referee Sandro Schaerer, a German-speaking Swiss.

“I don’t think it was a penalty and it changed the game,” he said. “When I saw who was appointed referee, and that he was a German-speaking Swiss, I thought it was a bit strange. And at half-time he was speaking to the Dortmund players exclusively in German.” Lille appeared to be in a strong position after coming from behind to draw in Dortmund last week, and they went in front in the tie when Canada forward David scored in the fifth minute.

Ismaily’s low ball in from the left was swept towards goal by David, somehow going in through the legs of Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

It was David’s seventh goal in this season’s Champions League, but it seemed to galvanise the visitors.

They were denied an equaliser by a remarkable double save from Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier in the midst of a goalmouth scramble on 20 minutes.

Dortmund applied pressure and were rewarded when they won the penalty shortly after half-time as Serhou Guirassy went down under contact from Thomas Meunier.

It appeared a soft decision, but Can fired in the spot-kick, and Karim Adeyemi then hit the bar for Dortmund before they found what proved to be the winner on 65 minutes.

Guirassy, who has 10 goals in the Champions League this season, was the provider but Beier still had work to do as he controlled the ball in the box before firing a lethal shot high into the net.

Lille could not recover from that blow as they went out in the last 16, just like in their two previous appearances at this stage of the competition, in 2007 and 2022.

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