Real Madrid were able to take care of business at home in the round of 16 of the Champions League, seeing off Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday in the first leg. Excellent finishes took hold all around but Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo took center stage to Julian Alvarez’s goal leading to the final result in this derby clash. With the second leg upcoming on March 12, there’s plenty of chances for Diego Simeone’s men to level the score but it does hurt to see carefully-laid defensive plans be dribbled through and destroyed at the last moment.
Man of the match: Rodrygo
With Jude Bellingham suspended for yellow card accumulation, someone had to step up for Real Madrid and Rodrygo answered the call. A sometimes forgotten member of a star-studded attack, Rodrygo has been flexible providing balance in the attack by being a creator when needed, but four minutes in, he delivered a goal to set the pace of this clash. It’s not all about the goal though as Rodrygo also had four recoveries while putting in a defensive shift.
Stopping a clinical Atleti attack takes a team effort and that’s just what Carlo Ancelotti got from his side. They’ll have to keep their cool in the second leg but that’s when Bellingham being involved will help ensure Madrid can keep hold of this lead as long as they’re able to stay healthy through the weekend.
What this loss means for Atletico Madrid
Already falling behind in La Liga with Barcelona taking the reigns in the title race, this is a crossroads for a strong Atleti side. They spent a lot of money to bring in Julian Alvarez, Conor Gallagher, Alexander Soloroth and other players to reload, and while it has paid off, especially Alvarez who netted his seventh UCL goal of this campaign, it doesn’t matter without silverware. This is a team built to win something and if they walk away without one, it could lead to serious ramifications. Simeone has been the manager of this team since 2011 but another year without a trophy would lead to valid calls for change. It’d especially sting getting knocked out at the hands of their rivals in Real Madrid, their arch-nemesis domestically and in continental competition.
Goal of the round
Alvarez’s equalizer in the first half was one of the best in the competition. Take a look at this curler:
What this win means for Real Madrid
Frankly, outside of a rivalry win meaning a little more, this is business as usual for Los Blancos. They rotated just enough to keep the team fresh in La Liga over the weekend and came out to win a UCL knockout game and will now look to win another one next week. The phrase, “If you come at the king, you best not miss,” is reserved for Real Madrid in the Champions League. Even after winning the title last season, they were already looking forward to another one and now they’ve already gotten past Manchester City and are 90 minutes from getting past Atletico Madrid. A job well done so far, but this is far from over.
What comes next?
In a tight La Liga race where both teams trail Barcelona, neither can look past their league matches but rotation will likely happen. Atletico Madrid have an away match facing Getafe while Real Madrid host Rayo Vallecano in what are clashes that they’ll be expected to win. Then it’s back to business in the second leg at the Metropolitano Stadium which will be an electric affair. As always, you can watch all the UCL action on Paramount+.
Read the full article here
