Real Madrid send rivals Atlético packing after controversial penalty shootout

The thorn that Carlo Ancelotti said was wedged in Atlético Madrid’s side remains buried deep in their flesh, deeper and more painful than ever before. Six times now they have faced their city rivals in Europe, in 1959, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and again here and somehow they have been defeated in all of them, each more cruel than the last. The team that lost a European Cup final after a 93rd-minute equaliser and another on penalties was beaten again, and even if it was only a last-16 tie, this might just be the worst of them all. In part that is because of the pain accumulated, in part it is because of how it happened.

How it happened was barely believable, even for a battle between these two. If Atlético didn’t beat Real this time, they may feel they never, ever will. Just when it seemed that fate might have shifted, it twisted the knife again. A goal after 29 seconds, a missed Vinícius Júnior penalty and a superb performance put them back on the spot again, another shootout. And there, they lost when Marcos Llorente smashed his against the bar and Jan Oblak got a hand on Antonio Rüdiger’s decisive kick but just couldn’t keep it out.