The Champions League round of 16 came to a close on Wednesday, with Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Aston Villa securing their spots in the quarterfinals. Real Madrid edged Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout, while Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven to advance 9-3 on aggregate. Aston Villa, meanwhile, defeated Club Brugge 3-0 to secure a 6-1 aggregate victory.
Real Madrid’s victory over Atlético Madrid was marked by controversy, particularly in the penalty shootout. Julián Álvarez’s attempt was disallowed due to a VAR decision that deemed he had touched the ball with both feet. Atlético coach Diego Simeone disputed the call, stating, “The ball doesn’t move.”
Despite the controversy, Real Madrid’s victory was met with relief, as they had struggled to find their rhythm throughout the match. The team’s star player, Vinícius Júnior, had a particularly rough night, missing a penalty in the second half and struggling to make an impact on the game.
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid’s manager, was more relieved than rapturous at the victory, stating, “I have tried to explain to my players that the priority was not to make the game more complicated than it already was… We made it more difficult by losing unnecessary balls that constantly found us out of position.”
Arsenal, meanwhile, secured their spot in the quarterfinals with a 2-2 draw against PSV Eindhoven. The Gunners had won the first leg 7-1, and their progress to the quarterfinals was never in doubt.
Aston Villa, led by coach Unai Emery, secured a 6-1 aggregate victory over Club Brugge. The team’s victory was marked by a standout performance from Marco Asensio, who scored twice in the second half.
The quarterfinals will feature several exciting matchups, including Real Madrid vs. Arsenal and Aston Villa vs. Paris Saint-Germain. The matches are scheduled to take place in April.