On Tuesday evening, a thrilling display of football yielded five goals in the opening 20 minutes of the matches. The teams wasted no time in getting the action started, making for an exhilarating start to the quarter-finals. Carlo Ancelotti’s team quickly responded to an own-goal by Ruben Dias with a well-taken goal by Rodrygo, propelling them into the lead. In the group stages of the tournament, matches are typically scheduled for either 5.55pm or 8pm.

However, the quarter-final games are strategically placed in the most prime time slots across Europe. It’s uncommon for teams from the same nation to play on the same evening, but due to Atletico Madrid and Real being drawn to play their first leg at home, they were unable to compete on the same day. This decision aimed to alleviate stress on resources in the Spanish capital, with Diego Simeone’s side set to play on Wednesday evening. As part of our community, you can stay informed with the latest from Mirror Football by joining our new WhatsApp community.

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