Brilliant Diaz lights up Bernabéu to give Real slender lead to take across town
JUMPING FOR JOY: Real Madrid's Rodrygo celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Bernebeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Pic: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
Current holders Real Madrid are on their way to progressing to the quarter finals of the Champions League following a 2-1 win over local rivals Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the tie.
Brahim Diaz, who replaced the suspended Jude Bellingham in the starting lineup, shone for Los Blancos, proving to be the difference maker with the winning goal in the 55th minute.
Los Blancos wasted no time in getting off the mark, taking the lead four minutes into the game. Following a perfectly placed through ball from the returning Federico Valverde, Rodrygo shrugged off Javi Gálan, maneuvering his way into the Atlético box and curling a shot past Jan Oblak to give Carlo Ancelotti’s men a one-goal advantage in the tie and to score the 25th goal of his Champions League career.
Rodrygo was involved in the action once again not two minutes later when a penalty appeal followed the Brazilian being brought down in the box, though Atléti’s blushes were spared by the referee who gestured to play on.
The early lead left Los Blancos playing with both confidence and composure in the opening 30 minutes, appearing much more assured on the ball and seeming far more likely to score again than their red and white counterparts had at equalising.
Despite the run of play, a moment of magic from Julian Alvarez, who has bailed out Atlético Madrid a number of times this season, saw Los Rojiblancos level up the tie and deal a blow of their own to Ancelotti’s men. Following a neat pass from Javi Gálan, the Argentine baited Eduardo Camavinga into a challenge before skipping past him and curling a brilliant shot into the top corner, leaving Thibaut Courtois with no chance and the visiting fans in euphoria.
Alvarez’s goal undoubtedly spearheaded Atlético’s growth into the game, with the beginning of the second period seeing Diego Simeone’s men become much more assured on the ball, playing with an air of confidence that had neglected them in the opening moments of the encounter.
Despite a period of dominance on the ball and half-chances for the visitors, it was Ancelotti’s men who dealt the next blow in the contest, and ultimately the knockout punch, with Los Blancos regaining the lead through Brahim Diaz in the 55th minute. After receiving the ball inside the box, the Moroccan danced around Giménez before sliding it past Oblak into the side netting to restore Real’s advantage in the tie once more.
The substitutions that followed seem to suggest Simeone’s focus had shifted to damage control for the remainder of the first-leg, with Los Rojiblancos defending with five at the back and offering very little going forward for the remainder of the contest. A cross fired across the box from Kylian Mbappé in extra time was inches away from being met by Vinicius Jr. that would have given Real Madrid a commanding lead in the second-leg, though Marcos Llorente did just enough to stop the Brazilian from converting the chance.
Los Blancos will visit the Metropolitano next week with a one-goal advantage in the tie; an advantage indeed, but maybe not quite what they had wanted going into a second-leg contest at the home of their greatest rivals.
Courtois 6, Valverde 8 (Vazquez 82), Asencio 7, Rüdiger 7, Mendy 8, Tchouameni 8, Camavinga 7 (Modric 62), Brahim Diaz 9 (Endrick 89), Rodrygo 8, Mbappé 5, Vinicius Jr 6
Oblak 6, Giménez 5, Llorente 6, Lenglet 6, Galán 6, De Paul 6 (Correa 75), Barrios 6 (Sorloth 75), Lino 5 (Gallagher 64), Giuliano 4 (Molina 64), Griezmann 6 (Le Normand 71), Alvarez 8
Clément Turpin 7
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