Real Madrid survives penalty shootout to advance in the Champions League

Real Madrid and Atleti's rivalry dates back to the early 1900s and is known as one of the fiercest in Europe. While the two face off multiple times each year in Spanish league play, the clubs rarely meet on the European stage. This was just the 11th Champions League encounter between the two teams.

The match was a gutsy, physical affair, and one that proves soccer doesn't need to be high-scoring to be utterly engrossing. 

Atleti put in a defensive masterclass after its early goal and neutered Real Madrid's famous offense with energy and verve. Uruguayan defender Jose Maria Gimenez and Argentinian midfielder Rodrigo de Paul were the players of the match, snuffing out every Real Madrid attack while carefully plotting offensive runs on their own. 

Atleti receives avalanches of criticism for its "boring" focus on defensive solidity; its heart-pounding, death-defying performance Wednesday shows just how misplaced that criticism tends to be.

For Atleti, this elimination will be devastating, and understandably so — teams never want to exit tournaments while winning a game, and especially not at home against their biggest rivals. The late, heartbreaking nature of Atleti's elimination won't help matters. 

The team lost a penalty shoutout after Julian Alvarez's successful attempt was ruled out by VAR. The reason? A supposed "double touch" in Alvarez's run-up, and one that certainly wasn't visible on television reviews. Had Alvarez's penalty stood, Atleti very well could've taken the shootout in its closing stages.

For Real Madrid, though, this late, unexpected advancement, even on the back of a game it lost, will continue the club's untouchable narrative in Europe. Real Madrid has stormed through the past three Champions League tournaments with what appears to be invincible plot armor. 

Nothing — not a poor performance, not an early conceded goal, not even a successful Julian Alvarez penalty — can keep it from moving forward in the Champions League. 

Coach Carlo Ancelotti has imbued his players with unshakable confidence on the European stage. In a world where coaches and players often disagree, fall out and refuse to work together, Ancelotti and Real Madrid's unwavering faith in each other is truly special — and it begets truly special results like this one.

Real Madrid will face Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals on April 8.