Real Madrid struggled to break down 10-man Atalanta before Ferland Mendy netted an 86th-minute winner to give the Spanish giant a 1-0 win in the first leg of the round of 16.
Madrid entered the game as the big favorite despite a slew of injuries, and Atalanta’s chances diminished further when midfielder Remo Freuler was sent off in the 17th minute after being adjudged to have denied a scoring opportunity.
“The match was ruined,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said. “I don’t know what the result would have been, we might have still lost, but it would have been a much different and better match.”
Madrid — playing without Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and captain Sergio Ramos — still found it difficult to test Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini until the end of the first half, when he pulled off a great reaction save to keep out Casemiro’s header from Toni Kroos’ free kick.
Just as it looked as if Atalanta would hold on for a draw, Mendy received the ball outside the area after a corner and curled a shot into the right side of the net from 20 yards.
“Yes, we’d practiced that play, but it wasn’t supposed to be Ferland who took the shot,” said Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane with a smile. “We didn’t have a great game tonight but what was most important was the result. Scoring away from home was important for us.”
The second leg will be on March 16 in Madrid. Atalanta can take comfort from the fact it has won all its European matches away from home this season, including a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.
“We just have to win in Madrid,” Gasperini said. “It’s easy , we just have one possibility. We must win.”