Real Madrid make light work of Atalanta to reach Champions League quarterfinals | Football News

MADRID: Real Madrid simply overcame Atalanta 3-1 at residence of their Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday to walk into the quarterfinals 4-1 on combination.
Karim Benzema scored a sixth aim in 5 video games to place the 13-times European champions in cost after 34 minutes following a poor kick out by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello which was intercepted by Luka Modric.
Captain Sergio Ramos put Actual additional comfy when he transformed a penalty on the hour, though the Italian facet managed to get one aim again because of a free kick from Luis Muriel within the 83rd.
However any hope they’d of constructing a restoration was rapidly dashed a minute later by a low strike from Actual substitute Marco Asensio.
Actual, who have been knocked out within the final 16 by Manchester Metropolis final time period and Ajax Amsterdam the season earlier than, reached the final eight for the primary time since 2018.

Zinedine Zidane’s facet would be the solely Spanish group left in Europe’s elite membership competitors except metropolis rivals Atletico Madrid overturn a 1-0 deficit at Chelsea on Wednesday.
“A very powerful factor was to get by means of as we hadn’t completed that the final two years,” stated Modric.
“We now have to take every sport because it comes and see how far we get however tonight we confirmed that there is a whole lot of starvation nonetheless on this group and I hope we are able to go very far.”
The draw for the remainder of the competitors is on Friday.

HIGH PRESSING
Atalanta had pulled off away wins over European giants Liverpool and Ajax within the group stage and almost bought off to a perfect begin when Robin Gosens met a Muriel cross within the third minute however was thwarted by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The Serie A facet continued to harass Actual with their excessive urgent however the hosts slowly managed to go their method out of hassle because of the skilled heads of midfield duo Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Actual discovered the breakthrough on the night time because of some excessive urgent of their very own which noticed Modric stick out a leg to dam Sportiello’s poor kick after which sq. the ball to Benzema, who calmly stroked it into the web.
“This was a really demanding sport,” added Modric. “Atalanta are a really bodily group and press you everywhere in the pitch with out stopping. I believe we performed effectively from the beginning and we’re very completely happy to make it to the quarter-finals.”

Actual’s Brazilian ahead Vinicius Jr ought to have added to their lead after an outstanding transfer involving left again Ferland Mendy however after doing the arduous half to coast previous Atalanta’s defence he missed the goal from shut vary.
He made amends by bursting into the realm and drawing a foul within the field by Rafael Toloi, permitting Ramos to blast the spot kick past the outstretched Sportiello and successfully finish the tie as a contest, scoring his one hundred and first aim for the membership.
“We got here out onto the pitch with the ambition to win the sport, to dominate the ball and management the play and we did that and had probabilities to attain much more objectives,” stated Ramos. “There’s nonetheless an extended strategy to go this season however that is the correct path.”