Julian Alvarez: The double-kick penalty controversy in shootout between Atletico Madrid & Real

Real Madrid has consistently held an advantage in penalty shootouts, winning every penalty decider in all derbies. This record undoubtedly places significant psychological pressure on Atletico Madrid.

However, Atletico Madrid suffered another defeat in the Champions League Round of 16, which is undoubtedly frustrating for Diego Simeone's team. In the match, Atletico midfielder Conor Gallagher's goal in the 27th second leveled the aggregate score to 2-2, but neither side could score the decisive goal in regular time or extra time, ultimately leading to a penalty shootout to decide the winner, marking the sixth time the two teams have decided a knockout tie via penalties.

In the penalty shootout, Real Madrid dramatically and controversially won the match 4-2. Defender Antonio Rudiger precisely shot the decisive penalty into the corner of the goal, leaving goalkeeper Jan Oblak helpless. However, Atletico's home fans were fixated on an earlier penalty by Julian Alvarez that was disallowed for a bizarre reason.

What exactly happened with Alvarez's penalty? After the first three penalties were successfully converted, former Manchester City forward Alvarez had the opportunity to level the score at 2-2. The Argentine international slipped while shooting, but still managed to beat Courtois. Atletico fans began to celebrate, but seconds before Federico Valverde scored Real Madrid's next penalty, Polish referee Szymon Marciniak signaled that Alvarez's penalty was invalid due to intervention from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Replays showed that the forward slipped while shooting, touching the ball twice in one motion. The scoreboard in the stadium displayed 2-2 after Alvarez's shot, undoubtedly confusing fans in the stands, but in reality, Real Madrid was leading 3-1 at the time. Although Atletico goalkeeper Oblak saved Lucas Vazquez's penalty, briefly giving Atletico hope, Marcos Llorente hit the crossbar, and ultimately German Rudiger helped Real Madrid advance amidst the tense atmosphere.

Rule 14.1 of the Laws of the Game from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) addresses penalty kicks. The rule states: "The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player." This is the same rule that prevents players from scoring on a rebound after their own penalty hits the post. If the same situation occurred during regular play, the opposing team would be awarded an indirect free kick.

Atletico coach Simeone expressed skepticism about the ruling, but he hoped the officials made the correct decision. "The referee said that when Julian arrived at the penalty spot, he touched the ball with his supporting foot, but the ball didn't move," he said. "I've never seen a penalty decision require VAR intervention, but okay, they must have seen him touch the ball. I want to believe they saw him touch the ball." "Did you see him touch the ball twice? Please, those present who saw him touch the ball twice, and the ball moved, please raise your hand. I don't see anyone raising their hand, that's what I'm going to say... Next question."

But Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was satisfied that the correct decision was made. "They spotted it. When we realized there was this doubt, they had already spotted it on VAR," he added. "I saw it, and I think he touched it with his left foot, a second touch."

Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois admitted it was unfortunate for Atletico, but the rules meant the disallowing of the penalty was correct. He told UEFA.com: "I felt something strange happened, so we told the referee straight away and then it was confirmed that there was a double touch, so obviously that gave us the advantage." "(Alvarez) slipped, he touched the ball twice, it's a missed penalty. You cannot touch the ball twice. It's unfortunate, but it's the rule."

Former Newcastle and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given said on BBC's "Match of the Day": "Sometimes you see that happen and the ball gets kicked off the other foot and it goes in a completely different direction." "Here, the direction of the ball doesn't really change, but he (Alvarez) does kick the ball off his (right) foot. The laws of the game are pretty clear."

Similar incidents have occurred before - twice in the Premier League. In 2017, Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez had a penalty disallowed for a similar offense in his side's 2-1 defeat by Manchester City (who he later joined). The Algerian winger slipped as he took the penalty and the ball hit his standing foot before flying into the net. "The shot was strange, but the rules are the rules. Double touch, like in golf," said then-Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. "It's not normal."

In January 2023, Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic also did the same thing, slipping as he took the kick and inadvertently kicking the ball onto his standing foot. The Cottagers lost 1-0 to his former club Newcastle. But later that year, in the Scottish Premiership, a penalty in similar circumstances was allowed to stand. Bojan Miovski appeared to slip as he struck a late penalty for Aberdeen against St Mirren, with an apparent double touch sending the ball into the net to secure a 2-2 draw. But a VAR review allowed the goal to stand.

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague told BBC Sport at the Wanda Metropolitano: "There was a typical heated argument in the tunnel after the game, but nothing different to what happens after every game." "It was a tense game - very much the way Atletico wanted to play it - and with the added bonus of scoring very early. The idea was to defend deep and counter-attack." "Real Madrid got a penalty but Kylian Mbappe was not right. He had discomfort in his ankle and a toenail that came off." "You saw the penalty that Vinicius Junior missed in normal time. Mbappe said to Vinicius, 'I don't want to take it, I'm not ready' and walked away, Vinicius took it and it went high." "Then came the penalty shootout. It was hard for people to understand what was happening. VAR gave no indication to help people understand what was happening." "But nobody complained that it was unfair. Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak even said that if I have doubts about the decision, it would be a disaster because then you cannot believe in anything." "So he touched the ball twice, the penalty was disallowed and Endrick was going to come on to take the fifth penalty. But Carlo Ancelotti looked at Endrick and thought he was not ready, so he put Antonio Rudiger on." "Oblak told me he saw the ball late and could not stop it. He will try to forget what happened, but it was a very tough moment."

The victory keeps Real Madrid's hopes of winning a record-extending 16th European Cup alive and maintains their impressive record against their city rivals: This was the sixth time Atletico and Real Madrid have gone to penalties in all competitions - with Real winning every single one. It is also the fifth time Atletico have been eliminated from a Champions League knockout tie (including finals) by Real Madrid. Only Bayern Munich (seven times against Real Madrid) have eliminated a single opponent more often in the competition's knockout stages.