Real Madrid took a small lead over city rivals Atletico Madrid with a closely contested 2-1 victory in the first leg of the Champions League last-16.
Julian Alvarez leveled the score for Atletico after Rodrygo Goes put Real Madrid ahead, but Brahim Diaz secured the win for the 15-time champions at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Diaz expressed his satisfaction with the performance, stating, \"I think we played a complete game today, my goal was good and it earned us the win, but it's not over. There's still the second leg and we have to give everything, like we did today.\"
Diego Simeone's Atletico, who previously lost in the 2014 and 2016 finals against their bitter rivals, managed to keep stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe quiet but ultimately fell short. In the final stages, the Rojiblancos played it safe, seemingly accepting the one-goal disadvantage for the second-leg derby clash at home next week.
Reference(s):
UCL roundup: Diaz earns Real lead on Atletico, Gunners hit seven
cgtn.com
