PARIS: Real Madrid eked out a 2-1 home victory over crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid, while Arsenal and Aston Villa scored emphatic first-leg victories as the Champions League last 16 kicked off on Tuesday.
In the night’s fourth tie, Lille gained a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Real, who sit third in La Liga, edged Atletico, who are second, in a game illuminated by three dazzling goals.
Real took the lead on four minutes when Rodrygo Goes dribbled in from the right and placed a shot inside the far post.
The visitors gradually gained control and levelled after 32 minutes.
Julian Alvarez bounced off Eduardo Camavinga and slammed a curling shot into the top far corner. It was the Argentine’s seventh goal of the Champions League campaign.
Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo De Paul helped Atletico take control for long periods, with Real finding it hard to win the ball back.
Thibaut Courtois saved at full stretch from Griezmann before Brahim Diaz restored the home lead in the 55th minute, shimmying past a challenge and curling a shot inside the far post.
“I think we always had the balance throughout the game, despite going a bit down after their equaliser, but at any moment we can find a goal with the talent we have and that’s what we did,” Brahim told Spanish TV station Movistar Plus.
“Everything is still open in the tie. It’s good that we won at home, but it’s far from over. This is the Champions League and every little thing you do makes a difference.
“The goal was good, it helped us grab an important win on another magical night at the Bernabeu. But there is still the second leg.”
Simeone said he was happy with how his team reacted to conceding an early goal, adding that he felt confident they could turn the tie around in the second leg at the Metropolitano stadium next week, as they did against Inter Milan at the same stage last year.
“We should have taken better advantage when we had control of the game,” Simeone said.
“It’s difficult to take risks so that with any counter-attack you end up losing the game. We controlled that situation very well, but we were missing (something) in the final metres.”
TEENAGERS SHINE
Meanwhile, Arsenal all but ensured a quarter-final berth as they crushed a shambolic PSV 7-1 in Eindhoven.
Jurrien Timber headed Arsenal into the lead on 18 minutes before Ethan Nwaneri, 17, smashed a second in the 21st minute from 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly’s assist.
Arsenal said it was the first time the two homegrown players had combined to score for the first team, and the first time two English teenagers had ever combined for a goal in the Champions League.
“He’s 17 years old and playing on the biggest stage in football,” Rice said about Nwaneri. “It’s crazy. We see him every day in training, and he and Myles deserve to be playing. You should see them train, the way they have no fear, the way they want to come and perform. It was brilliant tonight.”
Mikel Merino, from a narrow angle, put the visitors three goals up in just the 31st minute.
Noa Lang hit back with a PSV penalty before half-time. But Martin Odegaard slotted home a rebound and Leandro Trossard dinked a goal as Arsenal scored twice in the first three minutes of the second half.
Odegaard added another with 12 minutes left and then set up defender Riccardo Calafiori, a first-half replacement, to round off the scoring.
‘HAPPY BUT CALM’
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery insisted his team still have work to do despite a commanding 3-1 victory away to Club Brugge.
Two late goals gave Villa the victory in Belgium to puncture the hopes of the hosts who performed so well for so long.
Leon Bailey’s early opener for Villa at the Jan Breydelstadion was soon cancelled out by a Maxim De Cuyper leveller.
Club Brugge had been more than a match for their Premier League visitors, but Brandon Mechele’s 82nd-minute own goal restored Villa’s lead.
Marco Asensio, on as a substitute, then converted an 88th-minute penalty, his fifth goal in four games wrapping up the victory which puts the 1982 European Cup winners in a very strong position.
“I am happy but calm,” Emery said. “We are not in the quarter-finals. There are still 90 minutes to play and we are ready in case we need extra time and a penalty shoot-out because I know how many difficulties there can be in each match.”
LILLE SNATCH DRAW
At Dortmund, Lille scored with their first shot on target in the 68th minute through Hakon Haraldsson to earn a draw against Dortmund after Karim Adeyemi gave the hosts a halftime lead.
Haraldsson is only the second Icelandic player after Eidur Gudjohnsen to score in the Champions League knockout rounds.
The Germans, last year’s finalists, were frustrated with the result after failing to extend their advantage in the opening period despite having several chances.
They took their foot off the gas after the break and conceded a deserved equaliser from the French side who waited patiently for their chance.
“We played a good game today, especially in the second half,” said Lille coach Bruno Genesio. “The 1-1 draw has put us in a very good position for the second leg.”
Despite some late pressure, Dortmund failed to carve out any clear chances and then had midfielder Daniel Svensson taken off after he turned his left knee when Lille’s Andre Gomes stepped on his foot from behind.
“We saw two different halves. We had a good first half, deserved the goal, had chances to score again,” said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac. “The second half we had no control, we were far too passive, brought ourselves into trouble.”
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025
