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PIX: Real beat Atletico on penalties; join Arsenal, Villa, Dortmund in quarters

Last updated on: March 13, 2025 05:47 IST

A summary of Wednesday's Champions League Round of 16, Second Leg, matches.

Antonio Rudiger celebrates with Lucas Vazquez and Endrick after scoring the decisive penalty for Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg match against Atletico Madrid at Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday.

IMAGE: Antonio Rudiger celebrates with Lucas Vazquez and Endrick after scoring the decisive penalty for Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg match against Atletico Madrid at Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

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.

Antonio Ruediger 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 after Vinicius Jr. missed a late second-half penalty for Real.

Atletico were fuming after forward Julian Alvarez had his shoot-out 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.

 

Conor Gallagher puts Atletico Madrid ahead with a first minute goal in the match.

IMAGE: Conor Gallagher puts Atletico Madrid ahead in the match with a first minute goal. Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved a spot-kick by Lucas Vazquez but Marcos Llorente stroked his effort in off the post, leaving Ruediger 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.

"In the end, a penalty shoot-out 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."

Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez scores during the penalty shoot-out but his goal was disallowed as 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.

IMAGE: Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez scores during the penalty shoot-out but his goal was disallowed as 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. Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters

After Real grabbed a 2-1 win in a scrappy first leg at Santiago Bernabeu last week, Atletico started fast when Gallagher scored after 23 seconds, firing in a first-touch effort from Rodrigo De Paul's low cross.

Real Madrid finally created a chance to equalise in the 70th minute thanks to a brilliant run by Kylian Mbappe.

Atletico defender Clement Lenglet held the France striker from behind and a penalty was awarded but Vinicius Jr. blasted his shot over the crossbar.

"It hurts because we played a great game," Oblak told Movistar Plus.

"We lacked a little bit of luck, but the way it ended for us with Julian (Alvarez) penalty hurts a lot... It's a disappointing defeat... Heartbreaking."

Aston Villa cruise into quarters where PSG await

Marco Asensio scores Aston Villa's first goal against Club Brugge at Villa Park, Birmingham.

IMAGE: Marco Asensio scores Aston Villa's first goal against Club Brugge at Villa Park, Birmingham. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters

Aston Villa marched into the Champions League quarter-finals with an easy 3-0 win over 10-man Club Brugge in their last-16 second leg, giving them a 6-1 aggregate victory and setting up a far tougher task next against Paris St Germain.

Trailing 3-1 from the home leg, Brugge actually began the tie better and gave Villa some early scares including a glancing header from Hans Vanaken. But they faced an impossible challenge after Kyriani Sabbe was sent off for pulling down Marcus Rashford while through on goal in the 16th minute.

Unai Emery's team took full advantage in the second half, Marco Asensio swiveling and scoring from close range in the 50th minute after a pass from fellow substitute Leon Bailey.

Ian Maatsen side-footed Villa's second goal with the help of a deflection seven minutes later, before Asensio swept home in the 61st minute from a cutback by the marauding Rashford, to the joy of a packed and bouncing Villa Park.

Marco Asensio celebrates with Marcus Rashford and Youri Tielemans after scoring Aston Villa's second goal.

IMAGE: Marco Asensio celebrates with Marcus Rashford and Youri Tielemans after scoring Aston Villa's second goal. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters

Back in Europe's elite competition for the first time in more than four decades, Villa will have to be at their absolute best to beat French champions PSG who knocked out high-flying Liverpool on penalties at Anfield on Tuesday.

"It doesn’t get much harder than PSG over two legs," said Villa captain John McGinn. "Paris St Germain are frightening over two legs, so it’s going to be really tough. But Aston Villa are Champions League quarter-finalists, we can’t ask for much more at the minute, and we'll strive for more, you never know."

Villa could eventually have won by an even bigger margin, as chances went begging in a one-sided second half, but there were no complaints from their fans who roared approval as fireworks soared into the sky at the final whistle.

"It's mad ... We're giving these fans experiences they'll remember forever," added McGinn. "We want to write our names in history and make these nights more frequent."

Arsenal ease through as PSV restore some pride

Declan Rice celebrates scoring Arsenal's second goal against PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium, London.

IMAGE: Declan Rice celebrates scoring Arsenal's second goal against PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium, London. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

Arsenal eased into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 9-3 aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven after a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their last-16 clash.

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.

Ivan Perisic replied for the visitors though with a sublime finish in the 18th minute to give the thousands of boisterous PSV fans something to cheer.

Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front from Raheem Sterling's cross before halftime but PSV earned a deserved reward for a vastly-improved display as Couhaib Driouech 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.

Ivan Perisic scores PSV Eindhoven's first goal.

IMAGE: Ivan Perisic scores PSV Eindhoven's first goal. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

Arsenal's easy progress was not without a cost as Sterling was booked late on and he will now miss the first leg of next month's quarter-final.

Zinchenko, one of seven changes to the Arsenal side that drew with Manchester United at the weekend, had never scored a goal in European competition but opened his account with a stunner, cutting in from the right before lashing a shot into the corner past PSV keeper Walter Benitez.

That put Arsenal 8-1 ahead on aggregate and Bayern Munich's record Champions League knockout 12-1 aggregate win over Sporting in the 2008-09 season looked to be in range.

But Arsenal did not have the appetite to chase records as they played the game largely in cruise control.

"The most important thing is that we went through and we're looking forward to the next game," Zinchenko, who had a spell on loan at PSV and did not celebrate his goal, told TNT.

"It was a special feeling to play against my former team -- I really loved that club and received a warm welcome there."

Second-half comeback sends Dortmund into quarters again

Emre Can celebrates scoring Borussia Dortmund's first goal against Lille at Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France.

IMAGE: Emre Can celebrates scoring Borussia Dortmund's first goal against Lille at Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters

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 on Wednesday.

Can scored from the penalty spot to cancel out Jonathan David's early opener before Beier scored 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.

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.

Maximilian Beier reacts after making it 2-0 for Borussia Dortmund.

IMAGE: Maximilian Beier reacts after making it 2-0 for Borussia Dortmund. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters

Lille got off to a perfect start with David sliding the ball home from Ismaily's cutback in the fifth minute.

Remy Cabella then skied an attempt over the bar after a fine team move but Dortmund went close to equalising when defender Alexsandro's desperate block denied Pascal Gross, whose shot had beaten keeper Lucas Chevalier.

The Lille keeper made tremendous back-to-back saves in a packed goalmouth to preserve the home side's advantage but Dortmund were largely dominant.

Lille regained some form of control and Benjamin Andre's header went just wide, but Dortmund had the last chance of the opening half through Gross.

The visitors went up a notch after the break and levelled in the 54th minute when Can converted a penalty after Thomas Meunier had fouled Serhou Guirassy.

The visitors had further chances through Karim Adeyemi and Beier, who found the back of the net in the 65th minute with an effort into the top corner after a clever turn.

Niko Kovac's side, who sit 10th in the Bundesliga, then defended well and were never in any real danger.

Source: REUTERS
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