"How they find new ways to win CL matches I’ll honestly never know" - Social media reacts as Real Madrid knock Atleti out of UCL via penalties
Fans online were impressed with Real Madrid, who once again proved their mettle in the Champions League by eliminating their cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid. They secured a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Rojiblancos in the Round of 16 second leg at the Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday (March 12).
With the first leg ending 2-1 in Los Blancos' favor at Santiago Bernabeu on March 4, Diego Simeone’s men knew they had to secure at least a win on home soil to keep their qualification chances alive. Atletico made the most of the start of the kickoff, as it took them just 27 seconds to wipe out Real Madrid’s aggregate lead.
Julián Álvarez found Rodrigo De Paul, who delivered a cross from the right that bypassed Giuliano Simeone before Conor Gallagher expertly finished at the near post, scoring his first European goal. Real Madrid started cranking up the pressure after seeing their aggregate lead canceled, but Atletico Madrid looked dangerous every time they made forays forward.
While the home side did find clear-cut chances hard to come by, Atleti forward Julian Alvarez forced Thibaut Courtois into two separate saves before the break. Both sides exchanged blows in the second 45 minutes but neither could find a breakthrough after regulation time. The theme continued after the additional 30 minutes, forcing the game into a penalty shootout.
Alvarez’s effort was chalked off by VAR after he slipped and consequently touched the ball twice, while Marcos Llorente hit the woodwork. Only Lucas Vazquez missing for Real Madrid meant Carlo Ancelotti’s side progressed with a 4-2 victory in the shootout.
After the match, fans shared their opinions about the gripping encounter on social media.
''How they find new ways to win CL matches I’ll honestly never know, never seen anything like it,'' An X user wrote.
Another tweeted:
''Speechless. That was the craziest shootout I've ever seen.''
''That penalty shootout was crazy, wth,'' @Tobjizzle wrote.
Former Real Madrid player Michael Owen wrote:
''They always find a way.''
''At the same time, incredible that Atletico somehow experience a new way to be eliminated by Madrid,'' @MiguelDelaney quipped.
Another user took a thinly veiled dig at Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone, saying he must have developed a hatred for Real Madrid.
''They had a lot of dangerous counterattacks'' – Thibaut Courtois says Real Madrid didn’t play well despite qualifying
Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois wasn’t delighted with his side’s performance after their penalty shootout win over Atletico Madrid in the UCL on Wednesday.
Courtois pulled no punches in his assessment, saying they didn’t play well. He added that their performance will be different against Arsenal, whom they will face in the quarterfinal, due to their possession-based style of play.
Thibaut Courtois said (via the club’s official website):
"It wasn't our best performance, but we're through. Penalties are a lottery and the most important thing was to qualify. They had a lot of dangerous counterattacks and we didn't play very well, but we're into the next round. It'll be different against Arsenal because they're a possession-based side who play a more open game."
“We didn't start well. They made life much more difficult for us by going 1-0 up. I thought they'd try and make it 2-0, but they opted to defend and it worked for them because Oblak didn't have a save to make. In the end, penalties are a lottery," he added.
Real Madrid will next be in action against Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday (March 15).
