Real Madrid take a priceless one-goal advantage across town for the second leg next Wednesday after a high-quality derby against Atletico.
Los Blancos took just three minutes and 26 seconds to open the scoring and it came through two pieces of magic. Federico Valverde split the Atletico defence with a superb 35-yard pass down the right channel. Rodrygo collected on the right corner of the box, moved inside and then unleashed a sublime curling finish from 14 yards that left keeper Jan Oblak grasping thin air.
Not to be outdone for brilliance, Julian Alvarez’s leveller after 32 minutes took some beating. The former Manchester City striker chased a harmless-looking ball down the left, cut inside Eduardo Camavinga, and as he strolled into the box he curled a beauty that went in off the far post.
Ten minutes into the second half, Real were back in front as Ferland Mendy found Brahim Diaz on the left side of the box. He jinked his way around three defenders before hitting a daisy-cutter to the far post to make it 2-1.
There will be all to play for in France next week after Borussia Dortmund and Lille shared the spoils in Germany.
Midway through the first half, Dortmund were in front, much to the delight of the Yellow Wall.
A poor clearance left defenders stranded inside the box as the ball broke to Karim Adeyemi who had time and space to line up a wonderful strike from 20 yards all along the ground and just inside the left upright.
But the raucous Dortmund support was silenced midway through the second half when Hakon Haraldsson found a gap between the two central defenders on the edge of the box to run onto Jonathan David’s through ball, controlled with his right foot and finished smartly with his left to level the scores.