Aveek Chaudhuri, March 17, 2021

Real Madrid are the first and possibly only La Liga team to move onto the Champions League quarter finals after defeating Atalanta 3-1 in their second leg, winning the overall tie with an aggregate score of 4-1. Karim Benzema got the first goal of the game in the 34' minute after a costly mistake by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello after the keeper's clearance was aimed directly at Luka Modric who intercepted and got the ball to Benenzema with him finishing off coolly and calmly. Soon Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos added Los Blancos’ second with a penalty in the 60' minute. Luis Muriel pulled one back for Atalanta in the 83' minute but Marco Ansenso scored again one minute later to seal the win for Madrid. And so, Atalanta crash out as Zinedine Zidane's men move on to the last eight.

Statistically, the game was practically equal between the two teams. Madrid held the ball 53% of the time while Atalanta had 47% possession. With shots, Madrid attempted 12 in total with a solid 6 on target while Atalanta compared with 13 total shots with 5 on target. Both teams had their chances on the day but it was Real Madrid whose chances were simply better and capitalized on. Players like Benzema and Vinicius Junior showed up on the day, constantly threatening Atalanta's defense. Atalanta's forwards had their chances too with, one instance in the 76' minute with Duvan Zapata having only Thibaut Courtois in front of him but shooting straight at the keeper. On the day, it was Real Madrid who made the most of their chances.

This result is very strong and good for Zinedine Zidane's men, especially considering their Champions League failures for the past two seasons. Real Madrid are showing an overall improvement in form, with wins coming in both La Liga and the Champions League now. And the return of captain Sergio Ramos is excellent news for Madrid, putting them on track for a comeback in the title challenge.

While Real Madrid will be celebrating their progression in the Champions League, Atalanta will be looking to bounce back in Serie A. They had a poor two legs against Los Blancos and it was clear that they were not playing to their full ability. They were mistake-prone and simply weak in all areas. But Gian Piero Gasperini's men are better than that and surely, they will comeback with convincing results in Serie A.