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Rabat – In a high-stakes UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg fixture, Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 on penalties at the Wanda Metropolitano.
In the first two halves, Atlético Madrid edged past city rivals Real Madrid with a 1-0 victory, leveling the aggregate score at 2-2.
Atlético’s Conor Gallagher wrote his name into the record books by scoring just 27 seconds into the game, the fastest goal ever by an Englishman in Champions League history. The goal gave the match an electrifying start.
Capitalizing on a loose ball, Gallagher fired past Thibaut Courtois, igniting the home crowd and setting the tone for a fiercely contested derby.
Despite the early setback, Real Madrid sought to regain composure and control.
Their best opportunity to equalize came in the 70th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Clément Lenglet fouled Kylian Mbappé inside the box.
But VinÃcius Júnior wasted the chance, sending his spot-kick over the crossbar and leaving Los Blancos frustrated.
Atlético, under Diego Simeone’s tactical guidance, displayed defensive resilience, absorbing Real Madrid’s pressure and threatening counterattacks.
Brahim Diaz came into the play in place of Rodrygo at the 78th minut, adding more urgency to Los Blancos’s attacking line.Â
The match went to extra-time as no side could come up with a winner in normal time.
During the first 15 minutes of the added time, both sides tried to reach the opponent’s net. Still, the first half of extra time ended with Atletico Madrid 1-0 Real Madrid (2-2).
Despite both teams’ players investing intense efforts to score during the second half extra time, the aggregate score remained 2-2. They ended up going to penalties to decide on the winner.
This chance exercise saw Rudiger convert the final penalty, booking Real Madrid a ticket to Champions League quarter-finale with a 4-2 win on penalties.
