On the podcast today; even for Real Madrid this felt like a particularly novel way to progress in the Champions League, with Atlético’s Julián Alvarez adjudged to have double-kicked his penalty in the shootout. Cue confusion on the pitch, in the dugout, the press box and at home. But, once the dust had settled, Carlo Ancelotti’s team were through … again.
Diego Simeone’s side lost to their city rivals yet again, in a fashion that was unbelievable and yet so very believable
One day, Diego Simeone said, in those quiet moments when they are alone with their thoughts and memories, Real Madrid’s players will think of Atlético Madrid and how they made them suffer. But the real trauma, he knows, will for ever be theirs. In the final moments before this latest European derby, the first at the Metropolitano, a huge mosaic had declared that following Atlético “kills me … and gives me life”. At the end of it, once fate had found another, still crueller way of twisting the knife, of delivering the inevitable, the coach pushed his footballers and his fans together, applauding so hard his hands hurt almost as much as their hearts.
“I am proud of them,” he said afterwards. “I am happy, honestly. I am happy. I am happy. Why? Because we competed in a way that was exemplary. We might not have been able to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League. Sure. Of course. We couldn’t. But they had a bad time of it, every time. They will remember us for a long time. While enjoying beating us, but knowing and saying to themselves: ‘Facing that lot was messed up, look how hard they made it for us, always.’ Our people leave with the pain of having been knocked out, of course, but knowing that their team gave everything. I go in peace. Losing, but in peace.”
Aurélien Tchouaméni, le milieu international français du Real Madrid, avoue avoir été surpris par le penalty de Julian Alvarez, annulé par le VAR ce mercredi en huitièmes de finale retour de la Ligue des champions entre l'Atlético de Madrid et le Real (1-0, 2-4 aux t.a.b.). Mais il est heureux que cela profite à son équipe.
Victime de cris racistes aux abords du stade lors de l'avant match de ce huitième de finale retour de Ligue des champions (1-0, 4-2 aux t.a.b.), Vinicius Junior a passé une soirée pénible sur le terrain, avec notamment un penalty raté. Mais elle s'est terminée dans l'allégresse d'une qualification qu'il a célébrée ostensiblement.
The thorn that Carlo Ancelotti said was wedged in Atlético Madrid’s side remains buried in their flesh, deeper and more painful than ever before, never to be removed. For a sixth time they faced their city rivals in Europe – 2025 joining 1959, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 – and for a sixth time they were defeated. Utterly, perhaps eternally defeated. The team that lost one European Cup final derby after a 93rd-minute goal and another on penalties fell once more, and this time may even have been the worst of all, another chapter in the never-ending story.
All of which may sound a bit much for a last-16 tie but the pain accumulates, each loss crueller than the last, and if the final result was oddly inevitable, how it happened was unthinkable, even for a battle between these two. If Atlético didn’t beat Real this time, they may feel they never will. Just when it seemed that fate might have shifted their way at last, it twisted the knife again. “I go in peace,” Diego Simeone said after, insisting that in their silent, lonely moments Real will reflect that over all these years no one made them suffer like his team. Perhaps they will, yet they always survive, and here they did it again.
Le milieu français du Real Madrid Aurélien Tchouaméni a reçu un carton jaune lors du 8e de finale retour de Ligue des champions face à l'Atlético de Madrid. Il sera donc suspendu pour le quart de finale aller contre Arsenal.
4 min: … while on the touchline, Diego Simeone tries his level best to retain his supercool. Carlo chewing at his gum with a bit more vigour, though.
2 min: The roof of the Metropolitano, as you’d expect, is currently spinning off towards Catalonia. The poor clearance Griezmann intercepted was by Raúl Asencio. Everyone in Real white looking around at each other stunned!
Touché à une cheville contre le Rayo Vallecano le week-end dernier, Kylian Mbappé, qui n'a pas participé à la séance collective du Real, sera bien aligné, ce mercredi, en huitième de finale retour de Ligue des champions.
Ce mardi, à la veille du huitième de finale retour de Ligue des champions contre l'Atlético de Madrid, ce mercredi (21 heures), l'attaquant français du Real Madrid Kylian Mbappé, victime d' «une gêne» selon le club madrilène, n'était pas présent au début de l'entraînement collectif.
Carlo Ancelotti est revenu sur la gestion de ses attaquants, dimanche, lors de la victoire du Real Madrid contre le Rayo Vallecano (2-1), pour le compte de la 27e journée de Liga.
Le gardien de but du Real Madrid Thibaut Courtois et le défenseur Antonio Rüdiger ne feront pas partie de l'équipe alignée par l'entraîneur Carlo Ancelotti pour affronter le Rayo Vallecano ce dimanche.
L'entraîneur du Real Madrid Carlo Ancelotti a jugé ce samedi « normale » l'inconstance de sa superstar française Kylian Mbappé, impérial contre Manchester City puis peu en vue face au Betis Séville et à l'Atlético.
Opposé à la Real Sociedad en demi-finales de Coupe du Roi, le Real Madrid s'est imposé 1-0 au stade d'Anoeta au match aller. Un match émaillé d'incidents racistes à l'égard de Vinicius Junior selon la Liga, qui a publié un communiqué avec la Fédération espagnole de football ce jeudi.
Invisible lors du 8e de finale aller de la Ligue des champions mardi entre le Real Madrid et l'Atlético, Kylian Mbappé a été vivement critiqué par le journal espagnol « Marca ».