Contentious Refereeing Decision Sparks Debate as Real Madrid Edges Past Atlético Madrid in Champions League Round of 16
In the fiery clash between local rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, the last 16 Champions League match on Wednesday drew quite a spectacle. The final outcome - Real Madrid advancing to the quarterfinals via a penalty shootout win - is common ground, but the drama surrounding the controversial disallowed penalty stands out as anything but routine.
The incident unfolded after Atletico's Julián Álvarez was deemed to have double-kicked his penalty attempt by the video assistant referee (VAR). This sudden call set the stage for confusion and anger within the stadium, as Real Madrid capitalized off this advantage.
The intense competition began with Real Madrid leading 2-1 from the first leg, but an Atleti goal within the opening minute of the second leg equalized the aggregate score in a charged Metropolitano Stadium. Both teams battled to find a winning goal, with numerous opportunities going unrewarded. The decisive moment came during the tense extra time period leading to a heated penalty shootout.
Álvarez, Atletico's striker, stepped up to take the second spot-kick, seemingly scoring with a powerful strike into the top corner. However, with countless fans perplexed in disbelief, the referee suddenly canceled the goal, citing VAR indicator of a double-kick by Álvarez. Although the slight touch made little difference in the overall outcome, the regulations are crystal clear: the kicker must not play the ball again until it touches another player.
Atletico's Marcos Llorente and Real's Lucas Vazquez missed penalties during the shootout, but Real's disciplined defender Antonio Rudiger managed to score their decisive spot-kick, sending them into the next round to face Arsenal.
Despite leading his team valiantly, Atletico manager Diego Simeone expressed frustration over the narrow defeat and the controversial penalty decision. "Whoever saw that Julián touched the ball twice, raise your hands! Come on, come on! Who is going to raise their hand?" he exclaimed in the post-match press conference.
On the other hand, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois confirmed having witnessed the double-kick and alerted the referee to the situation during the shootout. He also expressed dissatisfaction with those who failed to accept the decision, saying "I'm sick of this making yourself the victim, always crying just because. In the end, I don't think referees are here to benefit one team or another."
Real Madrid's coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Atletico's players and acknowledged the controversy surrounding Álvarez's penalty, saying "I was pretty calm about it all. When it's a lottery like that, you toss the coin, and luckily it went our way."
Despite the heated debate and replays adding fuel to the fire, the video assistant referee (VAR) decision stood, cancelling Julian Alvarez's goal due to a double-kick, which proved instrumental in Real Madrid's advancement to the Champions League quarterfinals. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Real's player Antonio Rudiger converted the decisive spot-kick, sending them through to face Arsenal. During the post-match press conference, Atletico manager Diego Simeone expressed his frustration over the controversial penalty decision, questioning those who believed Alvarez had touched the ball twice.
