A contentious VAR ruling overshadowed Real Madrid's thrilling penalty shootout triumph over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday evening. The pivotal moment occurred when Julian Alvarez stumbled while executing Atletico's second penalty, resulting in a double touch that led to the disallowance of his goal following an extensive review.

This incident incited anger among Atletico players and supporters, as confusion enveloped the Metropolitano Stadium due to the lack of immediate communication regarding the decision.

Initially, Alvarez's penalty appeared to have been successfully converted, hitting the top of the net despite his slip. However, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois noted that he sensed something was amiss right away.

"I informed the referee that I believed Alvarez had touched the ball twice," Courtois later stated. VAR officials subsequently intervened, examining the footage to ascertain whether Alvarez's left foot had inadvertently nudged the ball onto his right before the shot was taken.

After a prolonged delay, referee Szymon Marciniak declared the penalty invalid, citing the double touch. Atletico's players voiced their objections, and the home crowd reacted with frustration, remaining unaware of the decision for some time. Although the stadium screens did not display a clear replay at that moment, an angle surfaced after the match concluded, confirming Alvarez's unintentional second touch.

Real win 4-2 on penalties

As Atletico Madrid found themselves behind 2-1 in the penalty shoot-out following a reversed penalty decision, Real Madrid capitalized on the opportunity. Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe successfully converted their penalties, while Marcos Llorente's failure to score proved detrimental for the home team.

Antonio Rudiger secured the victory with a shot that eluded Jan Oblak, resulting in a 4-2 triumph for the defending champions.

This outcome further solidified Real Madrid's supremacy over their city rivals in the Champions League, having eliminated Atletico in five consecutive knockout encounters, including two finals.

For Diego Simeone's team, the evening will be marked by controversy, as the VAR intervention cast a shadow over what was otherwise a fiercely contested match, with Atletico holding a 1-0 lead throughout regular time and the additional 30 minutes.

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