Why was Julian Alvaraz penalty disallowed in Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid?
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Real Madrid maintained their dominance over Atletico Madrid in penalty shootouts, securing a 4-2 victory in their Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday.
Atletico had briefly levelled the tie on aggregate when Conor Gallagher scored just 27 seconds into the match, but neither side could find a winner in normal or extra time, leading to a decisive shootout between the Madrid rivals for a sixth time in knockout football.
Alvarez’s disallowed penalty sparks debate
The turning point came when Atletico’s Julian Alvarez had his penalty ruled out for a double touch. The Argentina international slipped while taking his spot-kick, unintentionally striking the ball twice before it found the net.
Although the scoreboard initially displayed 2-2, referee Szymon Marciniak signalled the goal had been disallowed following a VAR review, keeping Real Madrid ahead.
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak later saved Lucas Vazquez’s penalty to give his side hope, but Marcos Llorente struck the crossbar, and Antonio Rudiger sealed Real’s win with the decisive kick.
What do the rules say?
According to IFAB’s Laws of the Game, a penalty taker cannot play the ball again until another player has touched it. The same rule applies to penalties during open play, where a double touch results in an indirect free-kick for the opposing side.
While Atletico coach Diego Simeone questioned the decision, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois were confident the correct call was made.
“I think he touches it with his left foot,” Ancelotti said. “That is a missed penalty. You cannot touch the ball twice,” Courtois added.
A aamiliar story for Atletico
The defeat continues Atletico Madrid’s struggles against their city rivals in the Champions League. This marks the fifth time they have been eliminated from the competition by Real, with no team other than Bayern Munich (seven times) suffering more knockouts against a single opponent.
Real Madrid now advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face English side Arsenal. Madrid will be keen on keeping their hopes alive for a record-extending 16th European Cup title.
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