Champions League Briefing: Breaking down a bizarre shootout as Real Madrid go through

New York Times

12-03-2025

The game started in stunning fashion and ended the same way.
Holders Real Madrid made it through to the Champions League quarter-finals but it took one of the most unusual penalty shootouts you are likely to see for them to progress at the expense of rivals Atletico Madrid.
Englishman Conor Gallagher gave Atletico the lead after 27 seconds, but what followed was an attritional contest with few clear-cut chances and that goal ultimately took the tie to spot-kicks. We'll break down all the drama involved in the shootout below.
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It was the standout game on a night when Arsenal drew with PSV but had done the hard work in the first leg, Aston Villa finished off the job against Club Brugge and Borussia Dortmund knocked out Lille.
Wednesday's results
After more than 210 minutes, all that separated fierce city rivals Real Madrid and Atletico was a penalty shootout — and, of course, it had to be full of drama.
It started in relatively straightforward fashion, with Kylian Mbappe and Alexander Sorloth confidently dispatching their penalties for Madrid and Atletico, respectively.
Vinicius Junior was a notable absentee from Madrid's line-up of takers after being substituted for 18-year-old Endrick in extra time. Did that have something to do with his horrific penalty that flew over the crossbar from the spot in the second half of regular time? Surely that was part of manager Carlo Ancelotti's thinking.
After Jude Bellingham had put Madrid ahead, Julian Alvarez stepped up — a player you would typically back to convert confidently from 12 yards. At first glance, aside from a slip while shooting, it looked as though he had done just that. Alvarez's celebrations were muted, though, perhaps a sign the former Manchester City forward knew all was not well. Moments later, amid some confusion in the stadium, his penalty was ruled out following a VAR review.
According to the VAR, the ball collided with the Argentinian's standing foot on its way to the goal and was therefore ineligible, with IFAB's Law 10 stating that 'the kicker may not play the ball a second time'.
Judging by the delayed reaction at the Metropolitano Stadium, it took a while for the news to spread.
Video for UK readers
Álvarez's penalty is overturned by VAR after a double touch 😳
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2025
Video for US readers
Julián Alvarez has his penalty chalked off for a double touch! 😳 pic.twitter.com/UVpQ2RKtse
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 12, 2025
To add to the drama, Lucas Vazquez then had his effort saved by Jan Oblak following a slow, stuttered run-up. He never looked confident and his shot was tame.
The opposite was true for Marcos Llorente, who wasted no time in thumping his effort towards the top corner… but his effort cannoned off the bar and flew over. It turns out you never really know when somebody is going to miss.
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With progression to the quarter-finals in Madrid's hands, they sent Antonio Rudiger to take their fifth penalty. The centre-back approached the shot head-on, which always looks slightly awkward, and Oblak appeared to read it. Just as it seemed the Slovenian would extend the shootout, getting a hand to Rudiger's shot, the ball slipped under his fingers and bounced up and behind him into the net.
Video for UK readers
RUDIGER SENDS REAL MADRID INTO QUARTER FINALS 💥
Complete DRAMA in the Madrid derby as Real Madrid win the penalty shootout over Atletico 😱
📺 Watch the Champions League LIVE on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Xt789sTh3J
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2025
Video for US readers
REAL ELIMINATE ATLETI ON PENALTIES TO ADVANCE TO THE UCL QUARTERFINALS 🥶 pic.twitter.com/w8r7vIe0kd
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 12, 2025
As the away side celebrated in front of their fans, Oblak, who really should have saved the German's effort, stayed between the sticks, seemingly in shock about what had just happened.
There are some new faces in the Champions League quarter-finals, and some not so new.
While Aston Villa lifted the trophy in 1982 when it was named the European Cup, this is the first time they have entered the tournament under its current guise. They are, therefore, Champions League quarter-final first-timers.
They face Paris-Saint Germain in the last eight, who, to everyone's surprise, must now be considered among the firm favourites to lift the trophy for the first time. Since the beginning of the year, PSG have been the form team in Europe, and with Ousmane Dembele, who has scored 21 goals so far this calendar year, they also have the form player.
Elsewhere, Barcelona must be considered favourites against Borussia Dortmund, though last year's losing finalists have a happy knack of progressing deep into the tournament. The winners of that quarter-final will face Bayern Munich or Inter, two European giants. Alongside PSG, the second tier of trophy contenders includes Barcelona, Bayern and Inter.
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But, of course, Real Madrid are the most likely team to lift it again. They have a striker-less Arsenal in the quarters, the English side having dropped off significantly in the Premier League in recent weeks. Win that and Madrid would face either PSG or Villa. And, no matter how good their opponents are, it's Real Madrid in the Champions League: as Wednesday proved, they just win.
Raheem Sterling's loan move to Arsenal has not had the rejuvenating effect he may have hoped for, but he showed signs of his former self in the 2-2 draw with PSV.
Despite a dearth of attackers at the Emirates due to injury, Sterling has featured sparingly. He was left on the bench at the weekend for the 1-1 draw with Manchester United, with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri now comfortably ahead of him in the attacking pecking order.
But on Wednesday Sterling recorded two assists. The first had more to do with Oleksandr Zinchenko's brilliant curling effort from outside the box than Sterling's creativity, but the burst of pace to recover a loose ball and the physicality to keep it under pressure will please his manager Mikel Arteta.
His second assist, however, could have been from four or five years ago when he was flying under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and was considered one of the best wingers in the world. To put Arsenal 2-1 up on the night, Sterling controlled an awkward chipped pass from Jakub Kiwior on his chest before breezing past his opposite number Couhaib Driouech on the touchline. For anyone who thought that burst of pace had left him, he then shifted past PSV full-back Tyrell Malacia for good measure before whipping in a pinpoint cross for Declan Rice, who headed home.
Video for UK readers
That is magical work down the wing from Raheem Sterling ✨
Sterling takes on two PSV players and puts in a cross to Declan Rice, who scores for a second successive match for Arsenal 🤝🔴
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/FgtVHLPBdj
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2025
Video for US readers
Raheem Sterling serves it up on a plate for Declan Rice 🍽️ pic.twitter.com/Nrq7nbyWIi
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 12, 2025
It may be too late to convince Arteta to sign him permanently, but perhaps there is an unlikely role for Sterling in the next round as Arsenal hunt a first Champions League trophy.
Marco Asensio scored twice for Aston Villa in their 3-0 second-leg win over Club Brugge, setting up a quarter-final tie against his parent club Paris Saint-Germain.
But will he be able to feature in that tie?
As Villa fans will know, on-loan players cannot play against their parent club in the Premier League. Last month, Axel Disasi watched Villa beat Chelsea, the club he signed permanently for in 2023 before joining Unai Emery's side on loan in January, from the stands for this reason. When Villa travel to Old Trafford to play Manchester United on the final day, Marcus Rashford will have to do the same.
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However, the rules are different in the Champions League.
In UEFA competitions, loan players can feature against their parent clubs… and they have often been successful in those fixtures, too.
In 2013-14, a 21-year-old Thibaut Courtois was part of an Atletico Madrid side that knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League semi-finals. Chelsea, his parent club, attempted to discourage Atletico from playing the Belgian by including a potentially prohibitive fee for such an event in his contract. UEFA deemed this 'null, void and unenforceable', and against their disciplinary regulations.
Another famous example involves Philippe Coutinho, who scored twice in seven minutes against his parent club Barcelona while on loan at Bayern Munich, as the Bavarians hammered the Catalan side 8-2. Like Courtois, he would go on to reach the final on loan, and he actually took home a winners' medal as well.
Given how impressive PSG have been in 2025, Emery will surely need Asensio's magic to pull off an underdog win.
Lille had never progressed beyond this stage of the Champions League and for a while it looked like they might break new ground, in large part thanks to goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
New York-born Canada international Jonathan David put Lille ahead early with a left-footed finish that rolled between Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel's legs, but the most eye-catching moment of the first half came from Chevalier.
From a corner kick, the Frenchman made three saves in quick succession to prevent Dortmund from finding an equaliser.
The first was arguably the pick of the bunch. Dortmund attacker Julian Brandt rose highest at the near post to direct Julian Ryerson's cross on target, with his glancing header requiring a reaction stop from Chevalier, who could not push the ball out of harm's way.
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Serhou Guirassy, who sits one goal behind Raphinha in the Golden Boot standings, was quickest to react, but could not force a shot away, with several Lille defenders around him attempting to clear. Chevalier managed to get his hand on it again, but forced it back towards Brandt, who struck a hard shot on target.
His effort flew past Chevalier, but defender Ismaily was on hand to block the shot off the line. The ball rolled into the palms of Chevalier, who lay on the ball with his head on the ground, perhaps not quite believing it had not hit the net. It has been a round of outstanding goalkeeping displays, led by Alisson's performance in Liverpool's 1-0 first leg win over PSG.
"HOW MANY TIMES" 😧
Chevalier denies Dortmund THREE times 🧤
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 12, 2025
Like with PSG, whose superiority over the two legs eventually told via a penalty shootout in which goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma starred, Dortmund's quality and Champions League experience prevailed in the second half. Emre Can dispatched a penalty that Lille may feel should never have been given and, just over 10 minutes later, Dortmund forward Maximilian Beier unleashed a right-footed shot from the edge of the box that arrowed into the top corner.
Despite David and Chevalier providing Genesio with potentially match-winning moments, Dortmund progressed as 3-2 winners on aggregate (2-1 on the night).