The Stats Behind Real Madrid’s Champions League Penalty Victory Over Atletico

Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher sent a clear message to their illustrious rivals, Real Madrid, by netting the opener in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg within just 27 seconds. This early strike showcased the Rojiblancos’ determination to overcome their more illustrious neighbours.

This marked only the second occasion that Los Blancos have conceded a goal in the opening minute of the competition, with Roy Makaay’s 10-second effort for Bayern Munich back in March 2007 being the only other instance where a team startled the Spanish giants right from the kickoff.

Gallagher’s goal made history as he became the first English player to score in a derby between Atletico and Real across all competitions. Additionally, it was the quickest goal by an English player in a Champions League match and the earliest goal Atletico have ever netted in the tournament.

With that early advantage, it appeared that Diego Simeone’s squad was primed to shed their UCL struggles against Real, and for significant stretches of the match, it seemed feasible.

Despite Carlo Ancelotti’s side enjoying more possession (62% to 38%), it’s worth noting that their 856 passes— the highest in a single match during the 2024/25 Champions League season— rarely translated into significant scoring opportunities.

While eight of Real’s starters recorded a remarkable pass completion rate exceeding 90%, it could be argued that their dominance in possession was largely inconsequential, as they failed to do anything meaningful with the ball.

When required, only three of their ten shots were on target, in stark contrast to Atletico’s eight from seventeen efforts, which kept their former player Thibaut Courtois quite busy throughout the match.

Ultimately, Atletico’s forwards needed to deliver more than just a hint of menace, with Julian Alvarez often isolated in that pursuit. He led his team with a pass success rate of 94.1% and was the only player to record five shots during the encounter. Only three Atletico players went without a shot, one of whom was goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Among the six Real Madrid stars who failed to register a shot, Kylian Mbappe’s absence from the scoresheet was a notable surprise. The Frenchman endured a dire outing, managing just four touches in the Atletico box and failing to attempt a single shot.

His total of 53 touches in the match was just five more than Courtois, and his tally of 33 passes across the 120 minutes was amongst the worst performances on the pitch.

Vinicius Junior’s missed penalty, marking his first failure from the spot for Real Madrid in any competition (excluding shoot-outs), underscored his disappointing evening.

Out of his 15 dribbles, only three were successful, and he won a mere eight out of 23 duels, finishing with 11 touches in the box that resulted in naught.

Vinicius’ loss of possession 26 times was at least ten more than any of his teammates, and his three fouls illustrated a growing sense of frustration. Substituting him late in the match was a bold yet arguably justifiable move by Carlo Ancelotti given the stakes.

The visitors did create some opportunities during the match (8), but none were enough to pose a threat to Oblak, while Atletico’s 14 chances highlighted a missed opportunity on a night when they concluded a four-match winless run against their local rivals (3D, 1L).

Marcos Llorente, who missed a penalty in the shoot-out that eventually gave Real the chance to advance, should not be too harsh on himself in hindsight.

The 30-year-old, whose great-uncle, the legendary Gento, won six European Cups with Real and whose father, Francisco, and grandfather, Ramon Grosso, also played for Los Blancos, was the most hardworking player in red and white.

Aside from five clearances, he also achieved five successful tackles, with his relentless energy pushing Atletico forward from start to finish.

As the match opened up and players began to fatigue, Real appeared somewhat ordinary and very much vulnerable. Consequently, Atletico’s performance is likely to be viewed as yet another squandered opportunity by the club’s management.

In the end, Real Madrid did progress, but not without suffering their fourth loss in this season’s Champions League— the first time in 16 years they have lost four matches in a single European campaign. The only instance where they endured more defeats in a European Cup/Champions League season was in 2000/01, when they lost five.

The nail-biting and controversially-ended match meant Atletico faced yet another elimination from the Champions League knockout stages at the hands of Real Madrid, marking the fifth time they have faced this fate (including finals).

Only Bayern Munich holds a worse elimination record against Real in the knockout rounds, with seven losses.

The narrative of the match will undoubtedly revolve around Atletico’s failure to seize their opportunities, while the history books will continue to reveal that Real Madrid somehow manages to get the job done in the Champions League.