MADRID, March 16 (Reuters) - Real Madrid easily overcame Atalanta 3-1 at home in their Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday to stroll into the quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate. Karim Benzema scored a sixth goal in five games to put the 13-times European champions in charge after 34 minutes while captain Sergio Ramos converted a penalty on the hour mark. Real, who were knocked out in the last 16 by Manchester City last term and Ajax Amsterdam the season before, reached the last eight for the first time since 2018. They will be the only Spanish side left in Europe's elite club competition unless city rivals Atletico Madrid overturn a 1-0 deficit at Chelsea on Wednesday. Atalanta had pulled off away wins over European giants Liverpool and Ajax in the group stage and nearly got off to an ideal start when Robin Gosens met a Muriel cross in the third minute but was thwarted by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Source: Egypt Today March 16, 2021 22:07 UTC