Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in a Champions League penalty shootout — again — to keep its title defense alive Wednesday and advance to the quarterfinals.
Defender Antonio Rüdiger scored the decisive spot-kick in a 4-2 shootout win after two Atletico players missed. Marco Llorente's shot struck the bar after Julián Álvarez's score despite slipping was disallowed on video review because he touched the ball twice.
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Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone reacts after losing the penalty shootout during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Raul Asencio, left, run celebrating after a penalty shootout at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid players celebrate after winning the penalty shootout during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Atletico Madrid's Clement Lenglet, center, fouls Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez falls to the ground after taking a penalty kick during a shootout at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Endrick, right, and his teammates run celebrating after a penalty shootout at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, right, reacts after missing a penalty kick during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Arsenal's Declan Rice celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven at the Arsenal stadium in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven at the Arsenal stadium in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford, front, duels for the ball with Brugge's Kyriani Sabbe during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio, second left, celebrates with teammates after scoring opening goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio, right, scores the opening goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Arsenal's Declan Rice, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven at the Arsenal stadium in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Referee Szymon Marciniak shows a yellow card to Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Atletico Madrid players celebrate after a goal during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Players react after Atletico Madrid's Conor Gallagher, on the ground, scored the opening goal during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior fails to score a penalty during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, right, reacts after missing a penalty kick during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Dortmund players celebrate after a goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Lille's Jonathan David celebrates after scoring during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Lille's Jonathan David celebrates after scoring during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Dortmund's Emre Can scores from a penalty kick during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Dortmund's Maximilian Beier scores during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Dortmund's Maximilian Beier celebrates after scoring during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Lille's Hakon Arnar Haraldsson scores his side's first goal during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer, between Borussia Dortmund and Lille at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen speaks during a press conference at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Tuesday March 11, 2025, one day ahead of their Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match against Aston Villa. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaks during a press conference at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground, Birmingham, England, Tuesday March 11, 2025, one day ahead of their Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match against Brugge. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard scores his side's sixth goal during the Champions League, round of 16, first leg soccer match between PSV and Arsenal at the Phillips Stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez 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. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, left, makes a save in front Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, center, 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. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Madrid also beat Atletico in a shootout to win the 2016 final — part of a streak of eliminating its city rival in the knockout rounds for four straight years. That hard-luck run started with the 2014 final when Atletico gave up an equalizing goal in stoppage time.
Madrid moves on to the quarterfinals to face Arsenal, which also advanced Wednesday along with Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund. The quarterfinals lineup was completed with Madrid’s win in a tense derby that had ended 2-2 on aggregate score.
Atletico led 1-0 after 90 minutes and extra time in a typically tenacious performance at its Metropolitano Stadium to cancel out Madrid’s 2-1 advantage from the first leg last week.
“When you get knocked out, it is not easy to digest," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said, “but I go out with a feeling of peace.”
Two key incidents defined regulation time. Atletico Madrid scored within 30 seconds and Real Madrid missed a penalty in the 70th minute.
Atletico took the lead with its first attack when England midfielder Conor Gallagher pounced on the ball from close range when a cross by Rodrigo De Paul was deflected into the goalmouth.
Madrid star Vinícius Júnior blazed a penalty kick high over the Atletico goal when he could have sent the 15-time champion through. He was substituted in extra time for his teenage fellow Brazilian, Endrick.
Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham stepped up to score Madrid's first two spot-kicks, and Fede Valverde also scored before Lucas Vazquez's kick was saved by Jan Oblak.
It was more relaxed in London, where Arsenal rested some regulars in a 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven to run up a 9-3 aggregate score.
Aston Villa also had a stress-free evening at home to ensure England has two teams in the quarterfinals, one night after Premier League leader Liverpool was beaten at Anfield by Paris Saint-Germain in a shootout.
Villa won 3-0 against Club Brugge, which played with 10 men from the 17th, after a 3-1 win in Belgium last week. Brugge defender Kyriani Sabbe was sent off for pulling back Marcus Rashford when running clear on goal.
Substitute Marco Asensio, on loan at Villa from PSG, scored twice in the second half to ensure his temporary club will meet his parent club next.
Borussia Dortmund rallied with two second-half goals to win 2-1 at Lille and advance 3-2 on aggregate. The beaten finalist last season now faces Barcelona.
The quarterfinals pairings are: Arsenal vs Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain vs. Aston Villa, Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan
First-leg games are on April 8-9 and return games are one week later.
There’s only one former European champion from England left in the Champions League. Villa's unbeaten home record has driven its run to the quarterfinal, with wins against Bayern, Bologna, Celtic and now Brugge.
Liverpool’s exit to PSG followed Manchester City being pushed out of the knockout playoffs last month by Real Madrid. Without the Champions League winners in 2019 and 2023, respectively, England’s challenge halved to just two.
Villa’s 1982 European Cup title is perhaps a less-remembered one in the competition’s 70-year history. Arsenal’s only time in the final was a loss to Barcelona in 2006.
Villa manager Unai Emery now goes back to Paris where his two seasons as coach there until 2018 seemed to be unsatisfactory for both parties.
Just like last season, Borussia Dortmund is better in the Champions League than the German league.
The Bundesliga’s 10th-place team trailed Lille from the fifth minute to Canada forward Jonathan David’s shot, before rallying in the second half for a decisive 2-1 win. Dortmund leveled in the 54th from Emre Can’s penalty and Maximilian Beier sealed the victory nine minutes later with a rising shot.
Dortmund was the beaten finalist last June – losing 2-0 to Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium – and got into this Champions League only because Germany earned a bonus entry for fifth place in the Bundesliga.
Niko Kovač, the club's third coach in the Champions League this season, now takes Dortmund to face former star forward Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona.
Expected exits for Brugge and PSV — after Benfica and Feyenoord were eliminated Tuesday — leaves only the five wealthiest leagues in Europe are now represented.
No team from outside England, Spain, Germany, Italy or France has reached the Champions League final since Porto coached by Jose Mourinho won in 2004.
UEFA will share almost 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) total prize money among the 36 Champions League teams this season and the 20% higher payouts this season figure to widen the wealth gap in European soccer. England and Spain also are in line for bonus fifth places in the Champions League next season, sending tens of millions more in prize money there.
Each quarterfinalist will get 12.5 million euros ($13.6 million). A place in the semifinals pays an extra 15 million euros ($16.3 million).
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone reacts after losing the penalty shootout during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Raul Asencio, left, run celebrating after a penalty shootout at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid players celebrate after winning the penalty shootout during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Atletico Madrid's Clement Lenglet, center, fouls Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez falls to the ground after taking a penalty kick during a shootout at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Endrick, right, and his teammates run celebrating after a penalty shootout at the end of the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, right, reacts after missing a penalty kick during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Arsenal's Declan Rice celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven at the Arsenal stadium in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven at the Arsenal stadium in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford, front, duels for the ball with Brugge's Kyriani Sabbe during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio, second left, celebrates with teammates after scoring opening goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio, right, scores the opening goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)
Arsenal's Declan Rice, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven at the Arsenal stadium in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Referee Szymon Marciniak shows a yellow card to Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Atletico Madrid players celebrate after a goal during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Players react after Atletico Madrid's Conor Gallagher, on the ground, scored the opening goal during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior fails to score a penalty during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, right, reacts after missing a penalty kick during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Dortmund players celebrate after a goal during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Lille's Jonathan David celebrates after scoring during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Lille's Jonathan David celebrates after scoring during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Dortmund's Emre Can scores from a penalty kick during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Dortmund's Maximilian Beier scores during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Dortmund's Maximilian Beier celebrates after scoring during the Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund in Villeneuve-d'Ascq , Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Lille's Hakon Arnar Haraldsson scores his side's first goal during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer, between Borussia Dortmund and Lille at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen speaks during a press conference at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Tuesday March 11, 2025, one day ahead of their Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match against Aston Villa. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaks during a press conference at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground, Birmingham, England, Tuesday March 11, 2025, one day ahead of their Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match against Brugge. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard scores his side's sixth goal during the Champions League, round of 16, first leg soccer match between PSV and Arsenal at the Phillips Stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez 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. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, left, makes a save in front Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, center, 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. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
