Real Madrid secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie at the Bernabeu, showing grit against one of Europe’s top sides.
Brahim Diaz struck the second-half winner after Julian Alvarez cancelled out Rodrygo’s opener, keeping Los Blancos in control of the tie. Despite missed opportunities from Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, manager Carlo Ancelotti focused on the positives, hailing his team’s resilience.
“These are evenly matched games. It could be a final or a semi-final,” Ancelotti said post-match. “Atletico are a top team, and you can’t think about finishing the tie in the first leg.”
The Italian tactician acknowledged his team’s early mistakes but praised their response after halftime. He also credited Atletico’s defense for making it difficult for Mbappe and Vinicius to shine.
“We haven’t had many chances, but they worked hard. They’ve got the return leg to show their quality,” he added.
With a narrow lead, Real Madrid will look to finish the job in the return leg, knowing the winners are likely to face Arsenal, who dominated PSV Eindhoven with a commanding 7-1 win.
NAN
