Champions League: Why was Julian Alvarez’s goal for Atletico vs Real Madrid in the penalty shootout disallowed?

Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid in the penalty shootout 4-3 to advance to the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League. However, something rare occurred when Julian Alvarez‘s penalty was disallowed by VAR for allegedly making double contact with the ball after slipping.

Alvarez took Atleti‘s second penalty, following goals from Alexander Sorloth and Kylian Mbappe. Although he slipped when taking the shot, he managed to send the ball into the back of the net, leaving Thibaut Courtois with no chance to stop it.

While Alvarez celebrated, VAR disallowed the goal, citing “double contact,” as his supporting leg was believed to have lightly touched the ball. According to Rule 14, which governs penalty kicks, a player cannot touch the ball a second time after making initial contact. However, the footage is unclear, and fans and journalists on social media have expressed disagreement with the decision.

Although Alvarez’s goal was ruled out, Jan Oblak was able to save Lucas Vazquez’s shot after Angel Correa and Federico Valverde also scored. When Atleti had the chance to equalize, Marco Llorente hit the bar, and Antonio Rudiger converted his shot to give Madrid the victory.

Real Madrid advance to face Arsenal

Before the penalty shootout, the match ended 1-0, with Conor Gallagher giving Atletico the lead with a goal just 27 seconds into the game—one of the fastest goals Real Madrid has conceded in the Champions League.

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Video: Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. misses penalty and fails to equalize against Atletico Madrid

While Vinicius had the chance to give Madrid the advantage on aggregate, the Brazilian star missed from the penalty spot in the 69th minute. However, the victory wasn’t enough for Atletico, as Madrid had won the first-leg match 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid will now face Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals. The Gunners defeated PSV 9-3 on aggregate, winning 7-1 in the first leg and drawing 2-2 in the second.