In a nail-biting El Derbi Madrileño, Real Madrid secured their spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout against city rivals Atlético Madrid. The two-legged tie ended 2-2 on aggregate, forcing the match into penalties, where VAR played a decisive role in a controversial turn of events.
Kylian Mbappé opened the shootout with a confident strike for Real Madrid, while Alexander Sørloth responded for Atlético. Jude Bellingham then stepped up for Real, followed by Julián Álvarez for Atlético. However, Álvarez’s penalty was disallowed after VAR intervened, ruling that his left foot made contact with his right foot during the shot, which constitutes a double touch, a violation of penalty shootout rules. This decision left Atlético fans fuming and shifted the momentum in Real Madrid’s favor.
Despite Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak saving Lucas Vázquez’s subsequent penalty, Marcos Llorente missed his spot-kick for Atlético, keeping Real’s hopes alive. The final blow came from Antonio Rüdiger, who coolly converted his penalty to seal a 4-3 shootout victory for Los Blancos.
The match has already sparked heated debates on social media, with fans and pundits divided over VAR’s intervention. Was it a fair application of the rules, or did it rob Atlético of a fair chance? One thing is certain: this dramatic clash will be talked about for weeks to come.
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