Real Madrid Edge Atlético, Arsenal and Aston Villa Close to Champions League Quarterfinals

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Real Madrid Edge Atlético, Arsenal and Aston Villa Close to Champions League Quarterfinals  



In a thrilling night of Champions League action, Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory over city rivals Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash. Meanwhile, Arsenal and Aston Villa took significant steps toward the quarterfinals with dominant away wins.  


Real Madrid 2-1 Atlético Madrid  

At the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid claimed a slight advantage in the Madrid derby. Julián Álvarez's stunning curler for Atlético canceled out Rodrygo's early opener, but Brahim Díaz's second-half strike gave Real the edge heading into the return leg.  


Key Moments:  

- Rodrygo opened the scoring in the 5th minute.  

- Álvarez equalized with a spectacular goal in the 32nd minute.  

- Díaz secured the win for Real in the 55th minute.  


Carlo Ancelotti praised his team's performance, calling Atlético a "top-level team" and expressing confidence for the second leg.  


Arsenal Thrash PSV Eindhoven 7-1  

Arsenal delivered a stunning performance in the Netherlands, demolishing PSV Eindhoven 7-1. Goals from Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Martin Ødegaard (2), Leandro Trossard, and Ricardo Calafiori sealed a near-certain quarterfinal spot.  


Key Moments:  

- Arsenal scored four first-half goals, including a penalty from Noa Lang for PSV.  

- Ødegaard's brace and Calafiori's late strike capped off a historic night.  


Manager Mikel Arteta hailed the team's performance, calling it a testament to the "beauty of football."  


Aston Villa Defeat Club Brugge 3-1  

Aston Villa took a big step toward the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Club Brugge in Belgium. Leon Bailey opened the scoring early, but Maxim De Cuyper equalized for the hosts. Late goals from Brandon Mechele (own goal) and Marco Asensio (penalty) sealed the victory.  


Key Moments:  

- Bailey scored in the 3rd minute, but De Cuyper leveled the score in the 12th.  

- Asensio's penalty in the 88th minute secured the win.  


Unai Emery remained cautious, emphasizing the need to stay focused for the second leg.  


Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Lille  

Borussia Dortmund, last season's runners-up, were held to a 1-1 draw by Lille. Karim Adeyemi put Dortmund ahead, but Hakon Arnar Haraldsson's equalizer gave the French side hope for the return leg.  


Key Moments:  

- Adeyemi scored in the 22nd minute.  

- Haraldsson leveled the score in the 68th minute.  


Dortmund captain Emre Can admitted the team needs to improve for the second leg.  


 

#UCL #ChampionsLeague #RealMadrid #AtleticoMadrid #Arsenal #AstonVilla #BorussiaDortmund #Lille #Football #Soccer #UEFA #MarcoAsensio #JuliánÁlvarez #MikelArteta #UnaiEmery  



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