Atletico Crushed by Real Madrid's Iron Law

MADRID, THURSDAY – Facing Real Madrid, the UEFA Champions League can be a ruthless stage for any team. They may play exceptionally well but ultimately lose to Real. This fate befell Atletico Madrid, who were eliminated after losing in a penalty shootout drama at the Metropolitano Stadium, early Thursday morning (13/3/2025) Western Indonesian Time. Though bitter, this is the iron law of Real in this season's Champions League.

One quarterfinal ticket had to be decided through the drama of a penalty shootout after Real and Atletico shared a 2-2 aggregate score. In the first meeting at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Real led 2-1. It did not take long for Atletico to equalize the score. Midfielder Conor Gallagher needed only 27 seconds to score a goal that sent the entire Metropolitano into a roar.

According to Opta records, the goal made Gallagher the fastest English player to score a goal in Champions League history.

"This was a difficult match, and it became even more challenging when you concede a goal in less than a minute. After that, they dropped back to defend and tried to outwit us through counterattacks," said Real's coach, Carlo Ancelotti.

Playing at the Metropolitano presents a unique challenge for any team, especially for Real. The Madrid derby is always marked by high tension and intense drama. Atletico supporters are highly intimidating toward opposing teams, particularly Real.

Therefore, after no more goals were scored until the end of regular time, Atletico's chances of turning the situation around grew significantly. Extending the match into extra time, let alone a penalty shootout, only disadvantaged Real. Real's suffering increased as the match dragged on without conclusion. However, Atletico failed to capitalize on this advantage.

Real may have collected 15 Champions League titles. However, taking a penalty at Metropolitano could be the toughest task for Real's players. The unfriendly atmosphere of Metropolitano toward them creates its own pressure. Just look at how Vinicius Junior failed to capitalize on the penalty awarded with only 10 minutes remaining in regular time.

The jeers from all Atletico supporters had weighed heavily on Vinicius. His shot soared far above the crossbar. Atletico supporters immediately cheered in delight after Vinicius failed. In fact, had the penalty been successful, Real would have been almost certain to secure the match with a victory.

The penalty shootout became a drama when Julian Alvarez successfully put the ball into Thibaut Courtouis' goal. However, referee Szymon Marciniak annulled the penalty goal after reviewing the video assistant referee (VAR). Alvarez's goal was annulled because the ball was deemed to have hit both of his feet first. In the replay, Alvarez who was taking a run-up slipped and then the ball kicked with his right foot then hit his left foot.

Of Atletico's four kickers, only Alvarez and Marcos Llorente failed to complete their duties. Meanwhile, on Real's side, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, succeeded in carrying out their duties. Only Lucas Vazquez failed. Meanwhile, Antonio Ruediger who was the last kicker became the determinant of Real's victory.

"We went to penalties, we were all tired, you could really feel it. Thank God, we were able to win it," Valverde said.

What happened to Atletico illustrates the iron law that Real's challengers will receive in this season's Champions League. With this, Real has already undergone two very tough matches. Before Atletico, Real first beat Manchester City in the play-off round of 16.

The Champions League will always be Real's natural habitat. Real players are highly motivated when they hear the Champions League theme song played before kick-off. Progressing smoothly in the Champions League after beating tough opponents, Real struggles to catch Barcelona at the top of the Spanish League standings.

Judging by Atletico's performance in this match, they did not deserve to be eliminated. Although not more dominant in terms of ball possession or number of passes, Atletico played very effectively. The team coached by Diego Simeone exploited the left side of Real's defense guarded by Ferland Mendy. Gallagher's goal also started from a cross in that area. Real started the match slowly, not a single midfielder disrupted Atletico's ball flow from the middle of the field.

Throughout the match, Atletico created eight shots on goal with an expected goal (xG) value of 1.42. That number is higher than Real who only released three shots on target and an xG value of 1.15. With such an effective performance, it is understandable how frustrated Simeone was when Alvarez's penalty goal was later disallowed. From that momentum Atletico's defeat began.

At the post-match press conference, Simeone could not calm his frustration. He asked the audience about Alvarez's disallowed penalty goal. He was surprised that VAR was used to review the penalty in the shootout, something that Simeone said had never happened in his life.

“Did you see it (Alvarez touched the ball twice)? What did you see? Did he touch it? Don't be afraid. Is there anyone here who saw Julian touch it twice? Raise your hand,” Simeone said.

This defeat to Real is a kind of deja vu for Simeone. In the 2016-2017 season, he also lost to Real in two Champions League knockout meetings. The pattern was similar, Real won the first meeting and lost the second meeting, but always went through.

After winning the Madrid derby, Real will again face a tough opponent. They will be awaited by Arsenal in the quarter-finals. The first meeting will take place at Arsenal's home ground, the Emirates Stadium. (REUTERS)