There was huge controversy as Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid’s Champions League clash went all the way to penalties.
Real Madrid Edge Past Atletico in Dramatic Penalty Shootout to Reach Champions League Semifinals
Real Madrid entered the second leg with a 2-1 lead, but their advantage was wiped out almost instantly as Conor Gallagher stunned the Bernabéu by scoring inside the first minute to make it 1-0 on the night (2-2 on aggregate).
Los Blancos had a golden chance to restore their lead when Clement Lenglet fouled Kylian Mbappe in the box, resulting in a penalty. However, Vinicius Junior squandered the opportunity, sending his spot kick high and wide.
With no further goals in regular time or extra time, the match headed to a penalty shootout to decide the tie.
VAR Controversy Over Alvarez’s Penalty
During the shootout, Julian Alvarez stepped up for Atletico’s second penalty and found the net, but controversy erupted when VAR ruled it out for double contact. Replays showed the Argentine slipped while striking the ball, inadvertently touching it twice—leading to the penalty being disallowed and recorded as a miss.
Atletico never recovered from the setback, and eventually, Antonio Rudiger converted the decisive penalty to seal a 4-2 shootout victory, sending Real Madrid into the semifinals.
The dramatic ending, especially Alvarez’s ruled-out penalty, will be remembered as one of the most controversial moments in Champions League history.
Fans Left Furious as Alvarez’s Disallowed Penalty Sparks Controversy in Real Madrid vs. Atletico Clash
Following Real Madrid’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over Atletico Madrid, fans took to social media to express their outrage over the decision to rule out Julian Alvarez’s spot-kick for double contact.
The incident, which ultimately helped Los Blancos secure a 4-2 shootout win, has left many questioning the consistency of refereeing decisions.
One fan raged:
“How the f* does he not get to retake that penalty? It was a slip… hardly intentional. If the keeper comes off the line, it gets retaken?”**
Another added:
“Check the replay, but I don’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to retake.”
A third fan questioned the ruling:
“Surely just retake the pen then. Kinda ruins it cancelling it.”
Even former Real Madrid player Steve McManaman weighed in on TNT Sports, acknowledging Atletico’s heartbreak:
“Sometimes the best team doesn’t win. Sometimes you need a huge chunk of luck to go through. Real Madrid have had luck in spades tonight. Julian Alvarez slipping, an irregular kick disallowed. Antonio Rudiger sneaking in the last kick. Just wow. They got away with it.”
Despite the controversy, Real Madrid march on to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face Premier League giants Arsenal in another high-stakes showdown.
