Rodrygo and Modric show why the UCL is Real’s competition
MADRID — Real Madrid defeated Atlético Madrid 2-1 in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League last-16 first-leg clash, giving the titleholders a narrow lead going into next week’s second leg at the Metropolitano.
Rodrygo put Real ahead in the fourth minute at the Santiago Bernabéu, before Julián Álvarez levelled with a stunning effort before half-time. The visitors Atlético then appeared to take control of the game, until Brahim Díaz put Real back in front against the run of play.
Los Blancos — who weren’t always convincing over the 90 minutes — could have added a third in added time but were twice denied by some last-ditch defending, to leave the tie open going into the return leg on March 12.
Another Champions League game, another brilliant, crucial goal scored by Rodrygo. His fourth-minute strike — brushing off Javi Galán’s challenge, stepping away from Clément Lenglet and firing past Jan Oblak — put Real Madrid ahead, giving them an early advantage that they didn’t always deserve as the game went on.
The Brazil star is so consistently good in the Champions League — he was outstanding against Manchester City in both legs of the knockout phase playoff, too — that he’s no longer underrated. It’s just that Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior still get more headlines. But Rodrygo deserves them, too.
His 25 Champions League goals for Madrid, in 61 games, put him eighth in the list of the club’s all-time goal scorers in the European Cup. The seven players ahead of him are, quite literally, among the biggest names in Real Madrid’s history: Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Raul, Alfredo di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Paco Gento and Vinícius.
Rodrygo isn’t that good, of course. But he is an exceptional player — Jude Bellingham has said he’s the most naturally talented in the squad — who’d be a star at any other club. He’s also happy to work off the ball, dropping back to help out his midfield teammates, in a way that the Real front line’s other big names aren’t always willing to do.
It’s testament to Rodrygo’s performances this season that one of the big talking points going into this campaign — whether the Brazilian would have to drop out of the XI to make room for Mbappé — just isn’t up for debate anymore. — Alex Kirkland
While battle raged all around them, and rage it did, the two managers were stark studies in how to handle stress.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and his Atlético counterpart, Diego Simeone, have seen it all before as both players and coaches. The pressure, the demands from the fans, the prematch dilemmas, the mercurial madness of the 90-plus minutes.
Indeed, Ancelotti and Simeone are, with a thousand games coached in Spain between them, experienced enough to feel Teflon-tough about the heat of a cauldron like this.
But oh how differently they coped.
Both dressed in Johnny Cash black, both trying to influence things, but one of them — Simeone — a study in constant, frantic, frenetic motion. The other, Ancelotti, hands initially clasped behind his back as he strolled around his technical area, back sometimes turned to the fray, as if he were a happy pensioner wandering through Madrid’s Retiro park on a balmy Sunday.
But to spoil Ancelotti’s enjoyment of that pastoral paseo, there was a hurdy-gurdy man immediately to his right. I know we know every available piece of data for every player — their kilometres run, intensity, heart rates, sprints, lung capacity. But do we have data as to how many kilometres El Cholo put in? I’d say that Simeone won’t be far off some of his players — and certainly far ahead of his goalkeeper Oblak.
The thing about Simeone is that, his genius achievements notwithstanding, he’s full of redundant gestures. “Slow it down!” he gesticulates frantically after Rodrigo De Paul or Antoine Griezmann has already slowed an attack to a walking pace. “Get back … GET BACK!” Simeone screams as Galan or Marcos Llorente already races to cover a galloping break by Rodrygo. Are they listening to him? Can they hear him above the industrial noise level maintained by two sets of fans who really don’t like each other very much?
Which is not to say that Ancelotti is a passive passenger. His gestures are of either horror or insistence. Eduardo Camavinga is robbed by Lenglet, and Carlo’s arms are aloft. He can’t believe the naivety. Madrid don’t pass quickly enough or often enough to Vinicius and he’s point, point, pointing — jabbing out his insistence that the ball goes to Madrid’s No. 7.
It’s a sideshow, but a fun one. Two men with the world on their shoulders for 94 minutes, prisoners of the touchline and the UEFA officials sheepdogging them back inside their technical areas.
Torture I tell you, pure torture. Poor guys. You’d be heartless not to feel for them. — Graham Hunter
In a game with three memorable goals, Álvarez’s might just have been the best of the lot. It was more evidence — maybe the most compelling piece yet — of why Atlético, and in particular Simeone, were right to work so hard to sign the Argentina international last summer. He’s an elite forward, capable of moments of genius like this. He’s also a Simeone true believer: a humble, hard worker who fits perfectly into the team.
Álvarez has been in Madrid for only seven months, but he’s already scored twice at the Bernabéu. He netted here in LaLiga last month, too. This was also his second, huge goal in just three days, having scored the winning goal against Athletic Club in the league on Saturday to see Atléti leap above Real in the title race.
Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).
It’s March, and Atlético are still battling for the league title, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. That’s in part because they’re boasting one of the best forwards in the world in their front line.
It’s now 22 goals in all competitions this season, and seven in nine Champions League games. This was the biggest and best goal yet, and it’s a goal which means Atlético go to the Metropolitano next week with a chance of eliminating Real Madrid and going through to the quarterfinals. — Kirkland
Even though he came on at 2-1 and the scoreline did not change, people will say that Luka Modric, the clever, ageless, majestic Croat “changed” the game.
Maybe so. The tempo altered; Madrid’s control of the ball changed. This much is true. But watching Modric is like watching withering, tired flowers on the edge of a desert being tickled back into life by autumn rain. When Madrid’s 38-year-old magician strolled onto the pitch, it was like watching Robert De Niro take control of a film. Everyone knows that “the best” just took the stage, everyone knows that he’s going to stand out and do, brilliantly, what he has done forever and ever. Everyone knows that those around are going to benefit from playing off him.
Modric breathed new life through every single player in a white shirt. Instead of hoping that they were in the right place, praying that they were going to receive a good pass, they knew.
Real relaxed in a good way: good vibrations throbbed through them as if the 1967 Beach Boys had just hit the recording studio — everyone simply started doing the simple things well, more quickly, with more confidence and more efficiency.
It’s not necessarily always spectacular, but watching it is soothing. You know that a superior power is acting, you know that it was right to have faith, and you can see that the congregation believes again. Back and forward Modric trotted, faithfully giving and receiving, receiving and giving. Adding class, marking out the beat … showing everyone, without a “tut tut” or a frown, how it should have been all along.
Modric the marvel. How lovely it was to watch him preaching his football gospel. — Hunter
Ali Moreno believes that Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone won’t be too disappointed after their 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 tie.
It’s testimony to the outright extraordinary nature of the goals we saw on Tuesday that this match boasted two of the best goalkeepers in the world — some might argue the two best — and yet each of them was utterly helpless as the Champions League ball soared past them and into the net.
It felt like each of the goals was more remarkable than the last, and the expressions of the faces of Thibaut Courtois and Oblak went some way to emphasising that.
The first, Rodrygo’s blindingly good left-footed drive to set the match alight, felt like it wouldn’t be bettered. Federico Valverde laser-guided his assist into space, and then, when the Brazilian cut across two rivals to score off his left foot, the arc of the ball was just beautiful; starting outside Oblak’s reach and then curving exquisitely past his outstretched right arm into the far corner. Without being fanciful, it felt like the goal was one long electric connection from Valverde to Rodrygo to the net. The pass, the finish and the net bulge were like one intertwined piece of magic.
But when Atléti equalised, Courtois looked beyond bemused — he looked perplexed. That Álvarez managed to produce the power and the bend on his shot to beat the behemoth Belgian was quite something. But Courtois had to take a look behind himself, just to make sure “Did that ball really go past me?” He looked as if he were scratching his head and trying to come to terms with it for quite some time.
Ditto Oblak for the winning goal. He couldn’t believe that Brahim had dribbled a couple of Atléti defenders in a space no bigger than the inside of a sardine can. The little Malagueño did that thing which Lamine Yamal loves doing: The tango, the rumba, the hip-sway — all without actually touching the ball, all lying to rival defenders that “I’m going this way … NO! I’m going that way now!”
It was magical, mischievous and, in due course, unstoppable. Oblak chewed a wasp, unhappy to be beaten, unhappy with his defence. Just plain, plumb unhappy.
A match with two gargantuan goalkeepers, greats of their genre — without a single sniff of being able to do anything about the three goals. And let us all be thankful for that. — Hunter
Ale Moreno criticises Real Madrid’s failure to put the game beyond Rayo Vallecano, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men hold on for a 2-1 win. (1:19)
Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scored in the first half to give Real Madrid an easy 2-1 win over neighbours Rayo Vallecano on Sunday that helped them draw level at the top of the table in the battle to retain their LaLiga crown.
Only one point separates Spain’s three biggest clubs in one of the closest title races in recent years with Barcelona leading the pack on 57 points, ahead of second-placed Real on goal difference with Atletico Madrid in third on 56 points after a 2-1 loss at Getafe earlier on Sunday.
Barca, who will face Atletico next Sunday, have a game in hand after their match against Osasuna on Saturday was postponed due to the sudden death of their team doctor.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti rested several key starters including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Antonio Rudiger ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against rivals Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Yet Real were still the better side and dominated proceedings from early on at their Bernabeu stadium.
They got a two-goal lead with quickfire strikes, as Mbappé finished a counter in the 30th minute and Vinícius extended their advantage with a fine individual goal four minutes later.
Vinícius also hit the post with a strike from just outside the box that could have extended their lead even further.
Rayo reduced the deficit in added time before the break with a tremendous shot from the edge of the area by Pedro Díaz, which hit the crossbar before bouncing over the goalline and then out again, with the VAR awarding the goal after it was not given by the referee.
Real did just enough to manage their lead after the break against a Rayo side that fought hard and created good chances but lacked firepower to pose a real threat to the LaLiga champions.
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The UCL really is Rodrygo’s stage
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Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Complete Head-to-Head Record
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have one of the best rivalries in soccer that produces must-see moments and matches across every competition in the sport.
The second biggest rivalry in Spain belong to neighbors Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. The two clubs have faced off over 230 times throughout the years in La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
The two latest installments of the rivalry came in the 2024–25 La Liga season in which both sides shared points in two 1–1 draws. Now, another Madrid derby is set to take center stage of the Champions League round of 16, adding yet another chapter to the storied history between the two Spanish clubs.
Atlético Madrid’s only Champions League victory against Los Blancos in the modern era came in the second leg of the 2017 semifinals. Simeone’s men were all over Real Madrid from the opening whistle, scoring two goals in the first 16 minutes of the match. Antoine Griezmann’s successful penalty was his first and only career goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Although Atlético Madrid went on to win the match 2–1, it was not enough to get to the 2017 Champions League final. Real Madrid wound up advancing 4–2 on aggregate and went on to win their 12th Champions League title.
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid’s European history dates all the way back to 1959. The two rivals clashed in the European Cup semifinals, where Los Blancos won the first leg at home 2–1. The second leg, though, was all Atlético Madrid. Enrique Collar scored the lone goal of the match, getting his side back level on aggregate with Real Madrid.
The two clubs went on to play a third time in a deciding playoff match that Los Blancos won 2–1. Collar once again scored his side’s only goal, becoming the only Atlético Madrid player in history to score more than once against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
One of Ronaldo’s best performances in a white shirt came against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscoring scored a hat trick at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg of the 2017 Champions League semifinals. Ronaldo headed home his first goal, sent a half-volley past Jan Oblak for his second and bagged his third with an off-balance shot from 10 yards out.
Ronaldo remains the only player in history to score a hat trick against Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid.
Watch Ronaldo’s hat trick here.
For the second time in three years, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid clashed in the Champions League final. Sergio Ramos got Real Madrid on the scoresheet in the 15th minute, but Yannick Carrasco brought Los Colchoneros level with just 11 minutes left in the match. Much like the 2014 final, the 2016 final headed into extra time.
In Milan, though, neither side could find a breakthrough and the winner was determined by a penalty shootout. After Juanfran missed his penalty, Ronaldo stepped up to the spot and won Real Madrid’s first Champions League title under Zinedine Zidane. The thrilling victory was the start of the only threepeat in the competition’s history.
Watch the match’s highlights here.
The first time Real Madrid met Atlético Madrid in the Champions League final, Ramos produced one of the most iconic moments in the competition’s history. Simeone’s men had a 0–1 lead heading into stoppage time, but the Real Madrid center back headed home an equalizer in the 93rd minute.
Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Ronaldo would go on to score in extra time, securing La Décima for Real Madrid.
Check out highlights from the match here.
Player
Club
Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid
4
Sergio Ramos
Real Madrid
2
Ferenc Puskás
Real Madrid
2
Enrique Collar
Atlético Madrid
2
Bale and Marcelo each only managed to find the back of the net once against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. Griezmann has scored just one goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League as well.
Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering the European game and international competitions.
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READ THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS AND MORE
Amanda Langell | Mar 4, 2025
|
Player |
Club |
Goals |
|---|---|---|
|
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid |
4 |
|
Sergio Ramos |
Real Madrid |
2 |
|
Ferenc Puskás |
Real Madrid |
2 |
|
Enrique Collar |
Atlético Madrid |
2 |
Euroderby with Contrasting Spirits at the Bernabéu
