Real Madrid sends message across Europe with Champions League victory: 'We're still hungry'

Real Madrid CF has sent a message throughout the continent as they concluded an emphatic 4-1 aggregate victory over Atalanta in the last-16 of the UEFA Champions League. They won a shaky first leg 1-0 but completely stamped their authority with a 3-1 victory at home on Tuesday evening.

The 13-time European Champions have reached the quarter-finals for the first time since winning the trophy four times in five seasons between 2013-2018.

Incidentally, it was the same old guard from that 4-title run that led the pack for Los Blancos last night. Luka Modric showed impressive presence of mind after an interception on Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello's poor clearance. The Croatian acted quickly and picked out Karim Benzema with extreme precision who only had to hit the ball straight into the back of the net from where he stood.

Sergio Ramos will be very pleased to have come off a lengthy injury to score a penalty on the hour mark to double the lead on the evening. Vinicius Junior picked up the penalty from Rafael Toloi despite having been criticised for failing to create an impressive finish himself.

The Italian side travelled to Madrid with high hopes for a comeback after a narrow 1-0 loss from the first leg despite being reduced to 10 men. However, they only managed to pull one back via Luis Muriel's 25-yard free-kick that was impossible for Thibaut Courtois to reach. Marco Asensio made sure that Real Madrid padded their victory with yet another goal with just six minutes left in regulation time.

Real Madrid has advanced into the quarter-finals and history shows that they only keep getting better the closer they get to the finish line. The club has a special relationship with the UEFA Champions League, and they will be eager to further extend their title haul.

Benzema and Ramos, who had both been absent in the first leg, have proven once again exactly why Zidane keeps coming back to his trusty veterans. Ramos in particular, has been a very crucial player for the Spanish giants throughout the past seasons of the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Benzema has found his stride following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, who overshadowed him up front before leaving for Juventus in 2018. It remains to be seen if Zidane can pull off another miracle for Real Madrid, after unexpectedly leading them to the La Liga title upon his return last season following the club's dip in form the year before.