Madrid, March 5 : Reigning champions Real Madrid overcame Atletico 2-1 in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie to claim the upper hand in the tie.

Rodrygo gave Ancelotti's side the lead after just four minutes and Julian Alvarez drew level in the 32nd minute. In the second half, Brahim made it 2-1 with a wonderful piece of skill.

Madrid raced into an early lead in the tie. After just four minutes, Valverde caught Galan by surprise with a precise pass to Rodrygo, who beat the Atletico defender on the run, cut inside from the right wing and fired home a beautifully struck left-footed strike. Two minutes later, Rodrygo again beat Galan for pace and when he entered the area he was pulled down by the defender, Real Madrid reports.

In the 22nd minute, Vini Jr. had a shot from the edge of the area that Oblak caught, and on the half-hour mark, Rodrygo had a free-kick that almost beat the keeper. On 32', Atletico equalised when Alvarez's angled drive from the edge of the area flew past Courtois. The two sides went into the break with the score at 1-1.

After the restart until the 55th minute, when Brahim's brilliant piece of skill gave the Whites the lead once again. The forward received the ball inside the area and was surrounded by defenders. He shifted his feet before finding a gap through which he struck a precise right-footed effort past Oblak and into the bottom corner of the goal it was 2-1 to Madrid.

Atletico countered, and five minutes later they almost equalised with a cross-shot from Griezmann that Courtois did well to keep out.

The quarterfinal berth will be decided on March 12 at the Metropolitano.

/IANS