Goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a series of outstanding saves to help Atletico Madrid hold an attacking Real Madrid to a 0—0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday.
In a repeat of last season’s final, cup holder Madrid could have opened the scoring after a free kick in the second minute but Oblak stopped Dani Carvajal’s shot. Two minutes later, Oblak blocked Gareth Bale’s effort after Atletico defender Diego Godin had failed to make a clearance, and he followed up by saving Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kick shortly afterward.
Oblak made a spectacular diving save to stop another shot by Bale in the 31st and was kept equally busy in the second half. Juventus beat Monaco 1—0 in Turin in the night’s other first—leg match.
Mandzukic clears Carvajal
Real Madrid fullback Dani Carvajal was lucky to escape without a red card after he threw a punch at Atletico Madrid forward Mario Mandzukic in Tuesday's 0-0 Champions League quarter-final, first leg draw at the Calderon.
The pair tangled in the second half and television replays showed Carvajal clearly threw at least one punch at the Croatia international in an incident apparently missed by the referee.
Spanish media even suggested Carvajal had tried to bite Mandzukic's arm although it was impossible to tell conclusively from footage published on social media.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti and Atletico counterpart Diego Simeone were asked about the incident at their post-match news conferences, and whether they thought European governing body UEFA might take action, but both said they had not seen it.
The return leg is at Real's Bernabeu stadium on April 22.
