Agony for Atletico, as champions Real Madrid find a way, yet again

Ancelotti's boys win 4-2 on penalties to extend winning run in Champions League against Madrid rivals

- Dhiman Sarkar

KOLKATA: Jan Oblak's push had got the ball to bounce in front. Atletico Madrid would have lived had Antonio Rudiger's penalty been saved, but the ball flipped back into goal.

Who else but defending champions Real Madrid to prolong the agony of Atletico Madrid in Europe? It is a run that stretches back to 1959 and includes derbies Atletico Madrid have lost in four straight editions of the Champions League from 2014. It is a run that includes two finals.

In 2014, Sergio Ramos equalised in 90+3 to deny Atletico Madrid their first Champions League title. The wait hasn't ended. In 2016, Real won the final on tie-breakers after Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty in regulation time. Cristiano Ronaldo's first-leg hattrick made the difference in the 2017 semi-finals. Playing with 10 after Arda Turan's red card, Atletico Madrid were two minutes of regulation time away from taking the 2015 quarter-finals into extra-time when Javier Hernandez scored.

On Wednesday, it was VAR chalking off Julian Alvarez's penalty that proved crucial. As Alvarez slipped, his shot had grazed his left foot resulting in a double kick, VAR adjudged. Still, Oblak saved Lucas Vazquez's penalty to give them a chance. Just Vinicius Jr blasting his 70th-minute penalty into the night sky had given them. False dawns.