Champions League last 16: Real Madrid edge Atletico; Arsenal, Villa secure big wins

Real Madrid eked out a 2-1 home victory over crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid, while Arsenal and Aston Villa scored emphatic first-leg victories as the Champions League last 16 kicked off on Tuesday.

In the night’s fourth tie, Lille gained a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, Real, who sit third in La Liga, edged Atletico, who are second, in a game illuminated by three dazzling goals.

Real took the lead on four minutes when Rodrygo Goes dribbled in from the right and placed a shot inside the far post.

The visitors gradually gained control and levelled after 32 minutes.

Julian Alvarez bounced off Eduardo Camavinga and slammed a curling shot into the top far corner. It was the Argentine’s seventh goal of the Champions League campaign.

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Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo De Paul helped Atletico take control for long periods, with Madrid finding it hard to win the ball back.

Real beat Atleti; Arsenal thrash PSV 

Thibaut Courtois saved at full stretch from Griezmann before Brahim Diaz restored the home lead in the 55th minute, shimmying past a challenge and curling a shot inside the far post.

“For a moment we had the game under control, but we knew that it would not be an easy match, because they were at home and they have great players,” Alvarez told Movistar.

“But we know there are 90 minutes to go… it’s one goal, and another game, at home with our fans.”

Arsenal all but ensured a quarter-final berth as they crushed a shambolic PSV 7-1 in Eindhoven.

Jurrien Timber headed Arsenal into the lead on 18 minutes before Ethan Nwaneri smashed a second. Mikel Merino, from a narrow angle, put the visitors three goals up in just the 31st minute.

Noa Lang hit back with a PSV penalty before half-time. But Martin Odegaard slotted home a rebound and Leandro Trossard dinked a goal as Arsenal scored twice in the first three minutes of the second half.

Odegaard added another with 12 minutes left and then set up defender Riccardo Calafiori, a first-half replacement, to round off the scoring.

“We were fluid. We had enthusiasm, the drive and the hunger.” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice told Amazon Prime. “We need to keep pushing as a team with the mentality.”

‘Happy but calm’ 

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery insisted his team still have work to do despite a commanding 3-1 victory away to Club Brugge.

Two late goals gave Villa the victory in Belgium to puncture the hopes of the hosts who performed so well for so long.

Leon Bailey’s early opener for Villa at the Jan Breydelstadion was soon cancelled out by a Maxim De Cuyper leveller.

Club Brugge had been more than a match for their Premier League visitors, but Brandon Mechele’s 82nd-minute own goal restored Villa’s lead.

Marco Asensio, on as a substitute, then converted an 88th-minute penalty, his fifth goal in four games wrapping up the victory which puts the 1982 European Cup winners in a very strong position.

“I am happy but calm,” Emery said.

“We are not in the quarter-finals. There are still 90 minutes to play and we are ready in case we need extra time and a penalty shoot-out because I know how many difficulties there can be in each match.”

In Dortmund, Karim Adeyemi put the home team ahead on 22 minutes, meeting a clearance from a corner with a low half-volley from the edge of the penalty area and swerving his shot inside the post.

Lille gained the initiative in the second half and Hakon Haraldsson ran onto Jonathan David’s pass to poke a 68th-minute equaliser.

He became the second Icelander to score in the Champions League after Eidur Gudjohnsen.

“We need to move better, be braver. We must and we can do better,” Dortmund captain Emre Can told Prime Video. “The second half wasn’t good at all.”

There are four more ties on Wednesday including Liverpool visiting Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich hosting Bayer Leverkusen and Barcelona at Benfica.