It was not the evening of surprises on Tuesday and the advantages taken on the outward journey were confirmed without the slightest doubt.
Real Madrid and Manchester City join PSG and Liverpool, Porto and Dortmund in the quarter-final of the Champions League, the draw of which will take place on Friday.
Real Madrid, however victorious in Bergamo (0-1), was however not reassured at the kick-off.
Because Atalanta, this season, was simply irresistible away from home with three wins in three Champions League trips: Midtjylland, Liverpoo and Ajax Amsterdam.
But in Madrid, the main beam this season is called Karim Benzema.
From a recovery without control on a center of Modric, the French scored his 70th goal in the Champions League.
And gets closer to the Madrid legend Raul (71).
đź“˝ Benzema's 70th Champions League goal in video https://t.co/uKhBwXJeda
- RMC Sport (@RMCsport) March 16, 2021
If Cristiano Ronaldo (134) Messi (120) are untouchable, Benzema, for 3rd place approaches Robert Lewandowski (72).
But the latter, still active and prolific with Bayern Munich, can obviously increase his score with each match.
But the distant duel between the two men promises to be sumptuous.
Note that Benzema is relentlessly regular in the Champions League.
It has been ... 17 years in a row that he has scored at least once in this event.
A penalty from captain Sergio Ramos (2-0, 60th) sealed the qualification on time. Because the Bergamesque goal of Colombian Muriel (2-1.83rd) did not revive any hope.
Ascensio in the wake (3-1.85th) taking charge of extinguishing all suspense.
For its part, Manchester City has confirmed its status as a scarecrow in the competition.
The English, already winners in Germany (2-0) in the first leg did not tremble for a single moment against Borussia Moechengladbach (2-0) at the Puskas Arena in Budapest where the return leg, Covid requires, had been moved.
Well served by Mahrez, the Belgian Kevin De Bruyne triggered a nice strike from the left which nestled in the top corner of Sommer (1-0, 12th).
In the process, GĂĽndogan, the German midfielder of the Citizens, hurt his compatriots with a cross strike from the right and definitively ended the semblance of suspense (2-0, 18th).
