MADRID: Real Madrid emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over city rivals Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday. The match, held at the Santiago Bernabeu, saw Rodrygo Goes open the scoring for the hosts, only for Julian Alvarez to equalize for Atletico. However, Brahim Diaz sealed the win for the 15-time Champions League winners with a decisive strike.
Diaz, who scored the winning goal, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “I believe we played a complete game today. My goal was important, but the tie isn’t over yet. We still have the second leg, and we need to give our all, just like we did today,” he told Movistar.
Atletico, managed by Diego Simeone, struggled to contain Real Madrid’s attacking threats, including Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, but managed to keep the deficit to just one goal ahead of the second leg at their home ground next week.
Alvarez, who scored Atletico’s equalizer, remained optimistic. “For a while, we had control of the game, but we knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially playing at their stadium with their talented players. There’s still 90 minutes left, and we’ll have our fans behind us in the next match,” he said.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made tactical adjustments, starting Brahim Diaz in midfield to replace the suspended Jude Bellingham and deploying Fede Valverde at right-back. The Italian manager had urged his team to show more determination after their recent La Liga defeat to Real Betis, and his players responded positively.
“The second half was better than the first. We worked hard, defended well, and achieved our goal of taking a slight advantage into the second leg,” Ancelotti remarked.
Rodrygo gave Real Madrid an early lead in the fourth minute, capitalizing on Valverde’s precise pass to slot the ball past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak. The Brazilian forward has been a consistent performer in European competitions, with this being his fifth goal in the tournament and his 25th in 61 appearances for Madrid.
Atletico gradually found their footing, and Alvarez equalized with a stunning solo effort, curling a shot past Thibaut Courtois after evading Eduardo Camavinga’s challenge. The Argentine striker has been in exceptional form, scoring 10 goals in his last 14 matches, justifying his status as one of Atletico’s most expensive signings.
Simeone praised his team’s resilience. “We didn’t let the early goal shake us. We grew into the game, controlled possession, and played more in their half,” he said.
Despite Atletico’s efforts, Diaz restored Real Madrid’s lead in the 55th minute with a composed finish after outmaneuvering Jose Gimenez. The goal sparked jubilant celebrations among the home fans.
Atletico pushed for an equalizer, with Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo De Paul orchestrating their attacks, but Real Madrid held firm. Ancelotti introduced veteran midfielder Luka Modric to stabilize the game, and the Croatian’s presence helped Madrid maintain control in the closing stages.
In stoppage time, Real Madrid came close to extending their lead, but Oblak denied Modric after Mbappe’s cut-back missed Vinicius in front of goal.
The second leg will take place at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium, with the winner advancing to face either Arsenal or PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals.
Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente remained hopeful. “We’re still alive in the tie. We need to correct our mistakes and give everything in the second leg,” he said.
