Arsenal to face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals after controversial penalty shootout as little-known rule causes heartbreak for Atletico
Arsenal will face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final after Los Blancos edged past rivals Atletico Madrid following a nail-biting penalty shootout in the Spanish capital.
Real came into their second leg clash against Atletico up 2-1 on aggregate, but were forced to seal the tie on spot kicks after the Atletico led 1-0 after 120 minutes.
Diego Simeone’s side were controversially denied a goal in the shootout, despite Julian Alvarez finding the back of the net for Atletico’s second penalty.
His shot was ruled a miss because the ball ricocheted off his left foot after he initially kicked it with his right.
As per the FA’s website, one of the rules of football when taking a penalty kick states: ‘The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.’
In a penalty shootout, this rule is altered, as the kick-taker cannot make contact with the ball at all after it initially leaves their boot (as this would allow players to score rebounds).
Arsenal will face Real Madrid in the Champions League last-eight after a controversial shootout
The Madrid derby ended 1-0 to Atletico after 120 minutes, but Madrid won 4-2 on penalties
Julian Alvarez’s penalty was ruled a miss, despite him scoring, as he touched the ball twice
And, since Alvarez made a second contact with the ball, it was determined that he encroached on the aforementioned rule.
The decision was made with such swiftness, due to the help of the semi-automated VAR technology that is in use for Champions League games.
Part of the technological advancements in Europe include the addition of an impact sensor in the ball, meaning every touch can be detected.
Therefore, the decision determining that Alvarez made contact with the ball twice was not an verdict of the naked eye, but an infallible one made by the advanced technology.
The Gunners eased into the last eight after a 9-3 win over PSV Eindhoven on aggregate; the tie was virtually sealed after Mikel Arteta’s side claimed a 7-1 victory in the Netherlands last week.
Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, Barcelona will face Borussia Dortmund, PSG match up against Aston Vlla, and Bayern Munich are up against Inter Milan.
