Champions League Round-up: Real Madrid edged Atletico, Arsenal demolished PSV
Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid at the Champions League Round of 16 First leg, while Arsenal made history by an 7-1 victory at PSV Eindhoven.
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Real Madrid Edge Atletico Madrid in a Thrilling Derby
In a pulsating first-leg encounter of the Champions League round of 16, Real Madrid managed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu. Despite fielding a side depleted by injuries, Carlo Ancelotti’s men rose to the challenge against a rival who had been unbeaten in their last four meetings. The match featured moments of individual brilliance that turned the tide in Madrid’s favor.
Brazilian winger Rodrygo set the tone early, dazzling the crowd with a spectacular solo run to open the scoring in the 3rd minute.
Atletico, however, refused to back down and found an equalizer after about half an hour—capitalizing on sublime finish by Julian Alvarez. With the game finely poised, Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz produced a moment of magic late on, dribbling past defenders to slot home a decisive goal, ensuring a 2-1 win and a significant advantage heading into the return leg at the Metropolitano.
Arsenal Make History with a 7-1 Masterclass Over PSV
Elsewhere, Arsenal created history in the Champions League with a record-breaking 7-1 demolition of PSV Eindhoven on their home turf. The Gunners became the first club to score at least seven goals in a European knockout tie away from home. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was the standout performer, notching a superb double and orchestrating much of the play with his calm and precise passing.
The visitors from the Netherlands, currently struggling with form and winless in recent outings aside from one victory in seven matches, were left reeling. Arsenal’s pressure was relentless from the start, with Jurrien Timber and Nwaneri striking two goals quickly early in the game. Mikel Merino then extended the lead with an easy finish inside the box, while Noa Lang briefly pulled PSV back with a penalty to make it 1-3.
However, Arsenal’s momentum did not falter; in the 47th and 48th minutes, Odegaard and Leandro Trossard found the net in back-to-back fashion to bring the score to 5-1. Substitute Riccardo Calafiori, who replaced an injured Lewis-Skelly, added another to make it 6-1, and in the 73rd minute, Odegaard completed his brace with a stunning strike from outside the box. Finally, a well-timed assist from Odegaard set up Calafiori to seal the emphatic 7-1 win in the 85th minute. This victory marks Arsenal’s first run of five consecutive Champions League wins at home since the 2005-06 season when they finished as runners-up.
Other Round of 16 First Leg Results
The excitement from the first leg of the round of 16 continued across Europe with other notable results. Aston Villa edged out Club Brugge with a 1-3 defeat, while Borussia Dortmund and Lille played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
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