UEFA Champions League round of 16: Real Madrid wins 'Madrid derby' on penalties, Arsenal Aston Villa and Dortmund advance to next round

The UEFA Champions League returned this week with the last set of round of 16 fixtures for the current season. The match day was highlighted by the marquee clash between two Spanish football club giants, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, at Riyadh Air Metropolitano. 

In addition to this, Premier League side Arsenal took on PSV at the Emirates, Aston Villa clashed against Club Brugge at Villa Park and last season's runners Borussia Dortmund faced Lillie at Stade Pierre-Mauree.

Real Madrid beats Atletico on penalties 

The defending champions, Real Madrid, entered the Spanish derby with a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg, having secured a victory at Santiago Bernabeu. The hosts got off to a flying start as Connor Gallagher netted the first goal in just 27 seconds. He became the first Englishman to score in the Madrid derby. Having taken the lead in the first minute of play, Athletic Madrid showed their defensive composure throughout the first half, limiting the number of chances created by Real Madrid. Julian Alvarez remained a constant threat to the Galacticos as he tested Thibaut Courtois three times. 

Real Madrid got the opportunity to take the lead on aggregate in the second half when Kylian Mbappe foxed his marker and earned a foul inside Atletico's box. Vinicius Junior stepped up to take the penalty and rocketed it past the post. The match went into extra time, where neither of the two sides were able to score the goal. 

Fortunes turned for the worse for Atletico when Julian Alvarez took charge in the penalty shootout. He slipped while kicking the ball, and as a result, he struck the ball twice in the process. Hence, his goal was overturned by VAR. Oblak tried to keep Atletico in the game by saving Lucas's attempt, but a subsequent miss by Marcus Llorente, followed by Rudiger's goal, drew curtains on Atletico's journey.

Arsenal and Aston Villa qualified for the quarterfinals. 

In other fixtures, two Premier League sides, Arsenal and Aston Villa, squared off against PSV and Club Brugge. PSV improved their performance from the last fixture as they held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw after the 7-1 thrashing in the first leg. The visitors came back from behind on both occasions they scored. Aston Villa once again asserted their authority as they defeated 10-man Club Brugge 3-0. Both teams advanced to the quarterfinals. 

Last season's runner-ups, Borussia Dortmund, edged past Lillie 2-1 to make their way into the quarterfinals of the Champions League, where they will face the Catalan giants Barcelona.