Tag: Atletico Madrid

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tight Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to set up a Clasico final clash against rivals Barcelona.

Fede Valverde’s blistering free-kick and a Rodrygo Goes strike helped Madrid claim a fifth consecutive victory across all competitions, with Alexander Sorloth pulling one back for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who came up short in Jeddah.

Alonso was close to the sack after a run of inconsistent form towards the end of 2025, but his team have slowly found their footing in the shape of positive results, even if some performances have not been entirely convincing.

The Spanish coach led Madrid to a win over Barcelona in his first Clasico at the helm in October, before his team began to slump.

With French superstar Kylian Mbappe out as he recovers from a knee sprain, Alonso kept young striker Gonzalo Garcia in the centre of the attack after his hat-trick against Real Betis on Sunday.

Atletico beat their city rivals 5-2 when the teams met in September in a La Liga derby but this was a far closer affair.

Los Blancos took the lead after just two minutes when Valverde’s ferocious free-kick flew past Sorloth in a poorly-positioned wall and rocketed past Jan Oblak.

The Norwegian Atletico forward might have done more to block it, and Oblak got his hand to the shot but could not keep it out because of the sheer power.

Valverde celebrated vehemently, slapping his own head, clearly delighted at breaking his duck in a difficult season to date.

By taking the lead, Real Madrid earned the right to sit deeper and force Atletico to try and attack them to pull back level.

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Madrid hit the Rojiblancos when they could on the counter, with Oblak saving well from Rodrygo after he floated inside from the right.

Atletico began to create some chances and could have pulled level before the interval.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tipped away Sorloth’s header, and then the target man clumsily nodded Conor Gallagher’s cross off-target from close range.

Rodrygo extended Madrid’s lead in the 55th minute with his third goal in five games, continuing a rich vein of form across the past few weeks after a run where he failed to score for 32 games straight.

The Brazilian found a gap to burst through in the middle of Atletico’s defence and kept his cool to sweep the ball past Oblak.

Three minutes later, Atletico hit back, with Sorloth finally finding the net with a header from Giuliano Simeone’s cross.

The striker gave defender Raul Asencio just enough of a shove to put him off without being penalised for it before nodding in.

The Atletico coach goaded Madrid winger Vinicius Junior when he was substituted, with the Brazilian failing to score for a 16th consecutive game.

Real Madrid face Barcelona on Sunday in the final at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium after the Catalans thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 on Wednesday.

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Atletico Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad on Sunday, leaving them 11 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Diego Simeone’s side pulled level with third-placed Villarreal on 38 points, but have played two more matches than them and lost more ground in the Spanish title race.

Alexander Sorloth headed Atletico ahead early in the second half, but Goncalo Guedes levelled five minutes later to secure Real Sociedad’s American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo a point in his first game at the helm.

Hosts Real Sociedad started well, with Mikel Oyarzabal firing narrowly wide from distance and Jan Oblak forced to tip away Brais Mendez’s drive.

Atletico, who have won just two of their last five league games, threatened sporadically, but the Basque side were on top and almost took the lead before half-time.

Rojiblancos striker Sorloth headed into his own net, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Mendez, who was standing in front of the Norwegian.

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Five minutes into the second half, Sorloth nodded into the same goal, this time to send his team ahead from Giuliano Simeone’s cross.

Conor Gallagher should have doubled Atletico’s lead but fired wide of the near post when through on goal and was soon punished for it.

Guedes levelled for Real Sociedad after Takefusa Kubo darted into the box and fired the ball across for the unmarked Portuguese winger to finish.

Oblak made a smart low save to thwart Kubo, and his opposite number, Alex Remiro, was also forced into action as Antoine Griezmann ran through but could only fire at the Spaniard from a tight angle.

Carlos Soler could have won it for La Real in stoppage time, but bent a shot agonisingly wide of the far post, leaving his team 15th.

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Barcelona produced an impressive comeback to beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday and move four points clear at the top of La Liga.

Alex Baena fired Atletico ahead, but Raphinha equalised for the champions before Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres slotted home to end the visitors’ run of 13 straight league games without defeat.

Barca might have been more comfortable had Robert Lewandowski not ballooned a first-half penalty over the bar at the partially rebuilt Camp Nou.

Real Madrid, second, visit Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, aiming to peg Barcelona back, while Diego Simeone’s Atletico are fourth, six points behind the Catalans.

This was Barca’s fifth consecutive Liga win after losing the Clasico against Madrid in October, but they have not shone consistently in that period, and coming against a title rival, this display gave Flick’s side a welcome boost.

Barcelona were without defender Ronald Araujo, who is taking a mental health break according to Spanish reports, along with ill midfielder Frenkie de Jong and the longer-term absentees.

After a 3-0 thrashing at Chelsea last week in the Champions League, followed by a shaky win over Alaves to claim pole position in La Liga, nerves were jangling at Camp Nou.

Following a tense start, Atletico took the lead with, predictably, a ball in behind Barcelona’s persistently high defensive line.

Baena scampered through on goal and beat Joan Garcia, barely celebrating because he could sense the linesman’s raised flag behind him.

However, a VAR review showed the Spaniard was level with Pau Cubarsi when he broke, and the goal was reinstated.

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Barcelona responded rapidly and levelled in the 26th minute when Pedri, back fit to start, played in Raphinha.

The Brazilian winger, another player recently back from injury, took the ball around Jan Oblak and slid it into the empty net.

Barcelona should have taken the lead, but Lewandowski spurned a penalty, blazing high and wide of Oblak’s goal after Pablo Barrios brought down Dani Olmo.

The Polish veteran almost made amends moments later, but Oblak brilliantly clawed out his header from Lamine Yamal’s cross.

Raphinha pulled an effort wide early in the second half when he should have hit the target, and Giuliano Simeone could not get a clean shot away with the goal beckoning at the other end.

Olmo, who netted twice against Alaves on Saturday, sent Barcelona ahead with a slick finish after Lewandowski managed to bundle the ball into his path.

Olmo, a playmaker who has struggled for consistency at Barca amid various physical problems, sustained a shoulder injury falling as he shot and was replaced by Marcus Rashford.

Pedri, who was controlling the game for Barca, also went down hurt after 70 minutes, and Flick replaced him, with fans left hoping it was only a scare ahead of next week’s important Champions League match against Frankfurt.

Atletico substitute Thiago Almada had his team’s best chance of equalising, but after bursting across the penalty area, he lost balance and screwed his finish wide as Joan Garcia scrambled.

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Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he was relieved to have some injured players returning to fitness ahead of Tuesday’s crunch clash against Atletico Madrid.

Barca moved to the top of La Liga with Saturday’s 3-1 defeat of Alaves, although Atletico in the fourth, are only three points back.

Pedri made his first team return as a second-half substitute on Saturday after more than a month out with a hamstring problem.

He is in line to start against Diego Simeone’s rugged outfit, as is midfield partner Frenkie de Jong, who missed the Alaves match for family reasons.

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“I’m really happy. The players are coming back, maybe we can increase our level. This is the most important thing,” Flick said on Monday, although he confirmed that Uruguayan centre-back Ronald Araujo is out.

The German has come under fire this seen for a series of abject displays, not least in the Catalans’ highest profile matches — a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea and 2-1 reverses against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite being top of the table, Flick admitted that Barca needs to improve.

“I know we are not (in) top (form) like last season,” he said. “But we have potential. And we have to increase our level.”

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Julian Alvarez struck twice to earn Atletico Madrid an emphatic 5-2 derby victory over La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday, ending their rivals’ perfect start to the season.

Xabi Alonso’s side had won all six of their games, but Diego Simeone’s Atletico overran them at the Metropolitano stadium.

The hosts came flying out of the blocks and took the lead through Robin Le Normand.

Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler netted to put Real Madrid in front, but Alexander Sorloth levelled for Atletico at the end of a thrilling first half.

Alvarez fired in from the penalty spot and then bent home a free-kick as he made the difference after the break.

Antoine Griezmann grabbed the fifth late on to seal an important win after a shaky start to the campaign.

Atletico rose provisionally to fourth, while Real Madrid can be usurped at the top of the table by champions Barcelona if they beat Real Sociedad on Sunday.

“There are no excuses, we’re hurting, it’s a derby and a deserved defeat,” said Alonso, after his side conceded five goals against their rivals for the first time since 1950.

Atletico’s joy was evident, with Simeone visibly emotional on the sideline as his team racked up the scoreline.

“There’s a lot of emotions… we’ve had a troubled start to the season,” said Simeone. “From the start of the game, we knew where we could hurt them… today was a very, very good (performance).”

Led by a flying Mbappe, Real came into Alonso’s first derby at the helm as the only side in the league with a 100 percent record.

Although the French superstar scored again to reach eight league goals for the season, Atletico attacked relentlessly and deserved their victory.

Real Madrid started Jude Bellingham for the first time since his shoulder surgery in the summer, but the England international struggled to make an impact.

Giuliano Simeone, coach Diego Simeone’s son, took advantage of slack Madrid defending to whip in a cross which Le Normand headed home after 14 minutes to open the scoring.

The visitors reacted well. Mbappe levelled with a crisp finish after breaking in down the right.

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Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior created Madrid’s second goal, turning brilliantly in the box to break away from Marcos Llorente and Le Normand, before crossing for Guler to strike.

Alvarez, who netted a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano in midweek, curled a shot around Thibaut Courtois but against the post as Atletico continued pushing.

Atletico defender Clement Lenglet put the ball in the net, but the Frenchman used his forearm to deflect it home.

In first-half stoppage time, Atletico pulled level. Sorloth, lurking behind Dean Huijsen, planted a header beyond Courtois.

The Norwegian striker celebrated with Atletico fans, who embraced him, a risky move, given he was already on a yellow card, but he was not dismissed.

Atletico Madrid moved in front for the second time when Guler gave away a penalty for a high boot, catching Nico Gonzalez’s head.

Alvarez, who had a penalty controversially disallowed in a Champions League shoot-out the last time the sides met, beat Courtois from the spot, even though the Belgian went the right way.

“Each penalty is a new penalty, a new game, a new chance,” said Alvarez.

Courtois saved from Sorloth, but despite getting a hand to Alvarez’s free-kick, he could not keep it out as Atletico pushed two goals clear.

In the meantime, Atletico talisman Griezmann wrapped up a superb victory, rolling the ball past Courtois as the home fans rocked in delight.

The players did a lap of honour after only their third league win of the season, but it was a vital one.

“It’s a very special day, we knew how important this game was, being a derby of course, but also because we needed the three points,” Alvarez told DAZN.

Villarreal, third, beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 to move within two points of Real Madrid.

Substitute Alberto Moleiro drilled home the winner after 77 minutes against an Athletic side who have scored just one goal in their last six matches across all competitions.

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Julian Alvarez scored a hat-trick to help Atletico Madrid snatch a thrilling 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday.

The Rojiblancos fell behind in the 78th minute, but Alvarez, who had opened the scoring, struck twice more in the final stages to claim three points for Diego Simeone’s side.

The Argentina international helped Atletico secure only their second win from six league matches during a shaky start to the campaign.

Atletico are ninth and trail league leaders Real Madrid by nine points ahead of Saturday’s derby clash against Xabi Alonso’s side.

“We needed to get three points to get confidence from winning, we’ve been playing well but because of small details we weren’t getting good results,” Alvarez told Movistar.

“We have to keep working and improve some things to get on a winning run.”

Alvarez, who missed a penalty in Atletico’s frustrating draw at Mallorca last weekend, opened the scoring at the Metropolitano stadium.

The 25-year-old, who joined from Manchester City in 2024, volleyed home from Marcos Llorente’s looping cross after 15 minutes to get the ball rolling.

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The striker should have netted a second before half-time but fired high over the crossbar from Nahuel Molina’s perfectly-judged ball.

Visitors Rayo made the hosts pay in first-half stoppage time when Pep Chavarria scored one of the goals of the season, a bullet from distance which ripped into the top corner past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Rayo substitute Alvaro Garcia sent his team ahead when he played in on goal, rounding Oblak before squeezing home from a tight angle.

It enraged Atletico, and they began pouring forward, quickly finding an equalizer.

Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla kept out an effort from Simeone’s son Giuliano, but Alvarez was on hand to blast the rebound home from point-blank range.

Giuliano crashed a shot off the crossbar as Atletico pushed for a winner.

With Rayo rocking, Alvarez completed his treble in the 88th minute, producing a superb finish to beat Batalla from the edge of the box.

After grumbling about being substituted during the Mallorca game, Alvarez showed his coach against Rayo why he is best left on the pitch.

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Newly crowned European Champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) launched their bid for Club World Cup glory with a convincing 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

In searing heat at the Pasadena Rose Bowl east of Los Angeles, PSG proved too hot to handle for their Spanish opponents in an impressive opening Group B win.

Goals from Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In sealed the three points for PSG, who delighted a crowd of 80,619 with their adventurous attacking play in temperatures that reached 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 Fahrenheit) shortly after kick-off at midday local time.

“We did very, very well in difficult conditions,” PSG goalscorer Vitinha said. “It was a good victory to start the competition.”

PSG coach Luis Enrique said the heat “had an impact on the game.”

“The rhythm of our play was a bit lower than usual, but we were better,” Enrique said. “We trained at such a high level; this team loves to compete, and we are ready to go as far as possible.”

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone refused to blame the heat for his team’s struggles.

“I cannot blame it on the heat — we both played in the same weather conditions,” Simeone said. “They played much better than we did. They have amazing players, and that’s why they’ve just won everything.

“We played better in the second half. But Paris Saint-Germain is a wonderful team, and they played a wonderful game.”

The French giants picked up where they had left off in their 5-0 Champions League final mauling of Inter Milan a fortnight earlier, quickly settling into their smooth passing game to control the early exchanges before taking the lead in the 19th minute.

A lovely passing move down the right saw the ball swiftly transferred to Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who deftly laid off into the path of Ruiz to sweep in a low finish for 1-0.

With Atletico struggling to gain any kind of a foothold in the contest, the Spanish side’s frustration began to show.

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Clement Lenglet was booked for a rash challenge on Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi in the 21st minute, and Robin Le Normand picked up Atletico’s second yellow soon afterwards for bringing down Ruiz.

Ruiz himself was booked on 28 minutes for a shove on Giuliano Simeone before the Argentine midfielder collected Atletico’s third yellow soon afterwards.

With the Parisians in complete control, Atletico had to wait until the stroke of half-time before their first shot on goal, France’s Antoine Griezmann drawing a smart save from Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot.

From the ensuing counter-attack, however, Atletico found themselves 2-0 down.

The electric Kvaratskhelia again found space down the left and fed inside to Vitinha, who ghosted into the box before steering a crisp shot beyond Jan Oblak for 2-0.

Atletico appeared to have hauled themselves back into the game early in the second half when Julian Alvarez rifled home a low finish to make it 2-1.

But the goal was chalked off after VAR spotted a bodycheck by Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on Desire Doue in the build-up.

That effort appeared to buoy Atletico for the remainder of the half, but despite playing with greater intensity, they were unable to create a single shot on goal.

Lenglet was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card in the 78th minute.

A disappointing Atleti display was summed up by a glaring miss four minutes later, substitute Alexander Sorloth somehow scooping over an open goal from a few yards out after Marcos Llorente’s cross.

PSG swiftly made Atleti pay for that miss, substitute Senny Mayulu pouncing on a loose ball to make it 3-0 in the 87th minute. The rout was completed in injury time when Lee stepped up to convert a penalty after a handball by Le Normand.

PSG will face Brazil’s Botafogo in their next group match in Pasadena on Thursday, before completing the first round against Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders on June 23.

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Barcelona battled back from two goals down to beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 and land an important blow in the La Liga title race on Sunday.

Lamine Yamal struck in the 92nd minute and Ferran Torres in the 98th to help take the Catalans back top of the table after Real Madrid beat Villarreal on Saturday to briefly claim pole position.

Barcelona have a game in hand on the champions with both sides level on 60 points, while Atletico trail the top two by four after they crumbled at home against Hansi Flick’s side to end a disastrous week following their Champions League elimination.

“How we play, the confidence we have, it’s really good to see,” said Flick, whose team are fighting for a potential treble.

“We will try everything to win trophies, the match today gives us more confidence.”

Having twice been caught out late by Atletico this season, this time it was Barcelona’s turn to provide the sting in the tail, extending their unbeaten streak to 18 matches across all competitions.

Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth put Atletico ahead before Robert Lewandowski and Torres hit back for Barca, who went on to win in stoppage time.

“I think that after the anger, the feeling of impotence, not being comfortable in the game, we put our best foot forward and gave the best that we have,” Yamal told DAZN.

“It was a very important game to win in the end, beating Atletico was a statement win, we put ourselves back as leaders having played a game fewer and we’re very happy.”

Flick had warned his players to stay focussed after they conceded a 96th minute goal in December to surrender the lead at the top of the table to Atletico in a 2-1 home defeat.

Barcelona also conceded two late goals in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg to draw 4-4 against Diego Simeone’s side in February.

Barcelona’s best chance of the first half came towards the end of it, when Pedri played in Lewandowski, who hit the top of the crossbar with a powerful drive. From the resulting goal kick, Atletico found the opener.

The hosts worked the ball to Antoine Griezmann, who threaded a brilliant pass across the area to Giuliano Simeone, with Alvarez finishing from his cut-back.

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It provided a moment of joy for the former Manchester City striker who felt deep frustration in midweek when his penalty against Real Madrid was controversially disallowed for a supposed double touch on the ball, as Atletico were eliminated in the Champions League last 16.

Simeone turned to his bench to freshen up his side after the draining Champions League defeat. The coach introduced Sorloth and Conor Gallagher and they combined for Atletico’s second goal.

Atletico put together another fine team move with Griezmann heavily involved, before Gallagher squared to perennial super-sub Sorloth to net his 11th league goal of the season, despite just nine starts.

Barcelona had complaints about a Rodrigo De Paul handball in the build-up dismissed and they turned their anger into an instant response.

Martinez drove forward with the ball and slung it into the box for Lewandowski, who controlled well and powered a low finish past Oblak to spark the comeback.

Substitute Torres soon netted the equaliser when Raphinha crossed from the right.

With Atletico shaken, Barcelona took full advantage, with Yamal’s deflected shot from distance sending them ahead in stoppage time.

“We have to congratulate our opponent, they had a good game and in the end were very effective with their chances,” said Simeone.

“They had that bit of luck which you have to have, in the deflection for Yamal’s goal for 3-2.”

Torres bagged his second late on to round off a win which could prove decisive come the end of the season.

“It was a strange game because we did well in the first half, we had them under control and scored two goals… it’s true the 120 minutes in the Champions League weighed on us, and in the end the team fell apart,” said Atletico’s Llorente.

“We will fight to the end (for La Liga), we have seen many times how things change, you have a good month and someone else has a bad one, and you turn it all around.”

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Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.

Diego Simeone’s team dominated the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano Stadium for much of the match.

However, Real Madrid has never been eliminated by Atletico in this competition. After Conor Gallagher scored in the first minute, Madrid fought hard to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw.

Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez, and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid.

In the shoot-out Alvarez scored for Atletico, but his effort was controversially ruled out for seeming to touch the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.

“The ball didn’t move,” complained Simeone. “I want to believe they saw he touched it (twice).”

Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico, and Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions, who will face Arsenal in the last eight.

“I had to pick the coldest players possible (for penalties),” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“I think it’s a lottery still, a toss-up. Today it came in for us — Atletico go out with their heads held high because they played at a good level.”

Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals.

Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this being the first time the derby has been played at Atletico’s new home in the Champions League.

After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative but came up fractionally short.

“I think we played a great match, but unfortunately, we lacked a bit of luck,” Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar. “The truth is that one feels pain; it hurts a lot.”

Atletico came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just 27 seconds through Gallagher, levelling the tie on aggregate.

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Rodrigo De Paul’s low ball in from the right was not cut out by Raul Asencio and former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher lunged in to beat Courtois from close range.

“We came out as if it was already won, and in the first move, they scored a goal against us, and that messed us up a lot,” Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde told Movistar.

Atletico were content to sit deep and soak up pressure as Real Madrid pushed the ball around in their territory but were also ready to spring forward on the counter.

Courtois saved on three occasions from Alvarez, who had scored a brilliant goal in the first leg.

With Atletico controlling the game, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti brought on Eduardo Camavinga and Lucas Vazquez in search of fresh energy.

Madrid soon produced their best attack of the game, with superstar trio Vinicius, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe combining on a rapid counter.

Mbappe skipped away from Jose Gimenez and then was dragged down by the desperate Clement Lenglet for a penalty before he could shoot.

Vinicius stepped up, facing down a red wall of whistling Atletico fans behind the goal, and buckled under the pressure, firing high and wide.

Madrid shaded extra-time as both teams looked tired but pushed themselves to their limits with the match on a knife-edge.

Mbappe stepped up first from the spot and sent Oblak the wrong way, with Bellingham following suit after Alexander Sorloth netted for Atletico.

Alvarez slipped as he smashed home the hosts’ second penalty, and after a VAR review, it was ruled out as he had touched the ball twice as he struck it.

Oblak saved from Vazquez’s weak penalty to put Atletico back on track, but it was short-lived as Llorente crashed his penalty off the bar.

Oblak dived the right way for Rudiger’s decisive penalty, getting a hand to it, but he could not keep it out as Madrid marched into the last eight, after winning their sixth shoot-out against Atletico from six.

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The Pakistan Football League (PFL) has joined hands with Spanish club Atletico Madrid ahead of the launching ceremony of the event next week.

The representatives of Atletico Madrithe expressed their excitement to attend launching ceremony of the Pakistan Football League (PFL).

Atletico Madrid had deployed its International Academy Project in Lahore from 2016 to 2020 as part of its strategic international expansion plan.

Atlético de Madrid Academy Manager Adolfo Guerrero Gunther in a statement said that they are thrilled to have been invited to the unveiling of PFL and to be back again to Pakistan.

“It (Pakistan) is a huge market full of opportunities, where we wish to explore different possibilities to develop the Academy programs,” he added.

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The Pakistan Football League is being unveiled in a ground-breaking ceremony Lahore on 4 June 2024, followed by a series of farewell dinners in each city celebrating its success with VVIPs and celebrities before send off by the British Deputy High Commissioner who will host a farewell sendoff reception in Karachi on June 5.

The Pakistan Football League (PFL) is set to be launched in Lahore on June 4 as English football legend Michael Owen has been appointed as Ambassador of the league.

Michael Owen will be the chief guest at the PFL launching ceremony, accompanied by a delegation of around 25 foreign guests, including Mike Farnan, CEO of Redstrike; SL Benfica’s Davide Gomes and Luis Miguel de Sousa Santos Reis; and renowned football analyst Mike Alison.

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