It was the white side of Madrid that emerged with a slender advantage heading into the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round–of–16 Madrid derby. Real Madrid edged past Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg, and no one was more pleased with his team’s resilient performance on derby day than Carlo Ancelotti, Real’s coach.
Real wasted no time making their mark, breaking through Atlético’s defense within the first four minutes. Federico Valverde—who had been an injury concern leading up to the game—delivered a sublime through ball to Rodrygo Goes. The Brazilian, showcasing individual brilliance and taking advantage of some passive defending, weaved his way inside the box before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the far-left corner, leaving Jan Oblak helpless.
The Bernabéu erupted in celebration, with chants of “Hala Madrid” filling the air as the club marked a historic milestone—playing their 500th European Cup/Champions League match, the first team in the competition’s history to do so.
However, Atlético did not back down, maintaining possession and persistently probing Real’s defence, particularly through their wing-backs. Their efforts bore fruit when Julián Álvarez fired a stunning shot from the edge of the box, curling it past a diving Thibaut Courtois and in off the post. It was the Argentine’s seventh Champions League goal of the season, bringing the visitors level.
Los Blancos restored their lead in the 55th minute, as Brahim Díaz maneuvered past a couple of Atlético defenders inside the box before calmly slotting the ball past Oblak.
Despite the victory, Ancelotti remained cautious, acknowledging Atlético as one of Europe’s top teams this season. “These are evenly matched games. It’s the Round of 16 in the Champions League—it could easily be a final or a semi-final. Atletico are a top team in Europe, and you can’t think about finishing the tie in the first leg,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“We’ve gained a small advantage that gives us confidence for the second leg, but that’s it. It was a difficult match, as it always is against Atleti. In the first half, we lost too many balls, made unnecessary mistakes, and they leveled through Julián Álvarez. But in the second half, we were better. We took advantage when we had the chance, and we did it.”
The high-intensity derby saw both sides scoring stunning goals, but it was an uncharacteristically quiet night for Real Madrid’s star forwards, Kylian Mbappéand Vinícius Jr., both of whom missed key chances that could have put the tie further beyond Atlético’s reach. Ancelotti, however, dismissed any concerns regarding their performances, instead praising Atlético’s defensive solidity.
“Playing against Atlético’s defense is not an easy task,” Ancelotti remarked. “We didn’t have many chances throughout the match, and both of them worked hard and fought hard. They didn’t have the opportunity to showcase the quality we all know they possess, but they have the return leg to do it.”
On the other side, Diego Simeone was pleased with his team’s ability to respond and limit Mbappé and Vinícius Jr.’s impact but was left frustrated by their missed opportunities. Despite the defeat, he remains confident that Atlético can overturn the deficit and finally eliminate Real Madrid from the Champions League knockouts.
“We should have taken better advantage when we had control of the game,” Simeone admitted. “It’s difficult to take risks when any counter-attack could cost you the match. We managed that situation well, but we lacked sharpness in the final metres.”
The decisive second leg will take place at Atlético’s home ground, the Wanda Metropolitano, on March 12. The winner of the tie will face the victor of Arsenal vs. PSV—where Arsenal holds a commanding 7-1 lead after the first leg—in the quarterfinals.