Watch: Questionable call costs Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid

Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid during the UEFA Champions League match, Round of 16, second leg, between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid played at Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium on March 12, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. pressinphoto

Watch: Questionable call costs Atletico Madrid in UEFA Champions League match vs. Real Madrid

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 9:53 PM ET

Real Madrid's victory over Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday didn't come without controversy.

The match came down to penalty kicks after it ended 2-2 in extra time. Trailing 2-1 in the shootout, Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez drilled his penalty kick. However, it didn't count.

The referee ruled Alvarez first touched the ball with his left foot before kicking with his right foot, making it a double-kick penalty and erasing the score. The official also used VAR (video assistant review), which confirmed the call. Real Madrid would win the shootout 4-2.

Álvarez's penalty is overturned by VAR after a double touch

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In his postgame news conference, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone suggested he was unsure if officials made the correct call.

"The referee said when Juilan got to the penalty spot, he touched the ball with his standing foot, but the ball did not move," Simeone said, per BBC Sport. "I've never seen a penalty where they've called the VAR, but well, they should've seen that he touched it. I want to believe, I want to believe they saw he touched it."

While the ball didn't move, CBS Sports rules expert Christina Unkel said VAR has technology that can determine whether Alvarez touched it.

"The VAR also has the semi-automated offside technology, where they're able to see at that kick point and when there is a touch on that ball," Unkel said in a postgame show.

Regardless, the decision proved pivotal for Atletico Madrid and likely cost the club a shot at its first Champions League title.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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