An unfortunate truism about sports is that the on-pitch result at the end of the game is more important than how the result was achieved. Arsenal fans used to sing "one-nil to the Ar-se-nal" to the tune of "Go West" by The Pet Shop Boys as if that jeering would change then-manager George Graham's tactics to something more aesthetically pleasing, even though those 1-0 wins were catapulting the team up the league and earning trophies.

That's why Real Madrid fans will be pleased with their teams result, even though it was a 90-minute slog to get there.

Serie A's Atalanta are punching way above their weight to even reach the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League and yet they came into this clash with Real Madrid, if not favorites, then as equals.

Real's side has been decimated by injuries to the degree that their bench last night included rookies Hugo Duro, Sergio Arribas and Antonio Blanco, the oldest of whom is 20. The ones who are still match fit are – like a lot of players at big sides this year – worn out, which is why they've been struggling in La Liga all season.

This made them seem vulnerable to the flying squad of Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta and, to be fair, for the first 15 minutes, they were pressing hard – too hard, ultimately.

Zapata gave away the ball looking for space and Real played out from the back and, several passing triangles later, got the ball to Ferland Mendy. He sprinted straight at goal and was tackled on the edge of the box by Remo Freuler.

Freuler stepped across Mendy to get the ball and it sent the Real player down in the same manner as a judo practitioner uses their leg to sweep an opponent. It was definitely a foul, more than likely cynical, however it absolutely was not enough to justify the straight red card he received for it.

Referees in Europe are often more stringent than domestic counterparts. This decision seemed unnecessarily harsh and killed the game before it had time to begin in earnest.

There are few worse omens in football than an early red card. It happening to the underdogs against a paradoxically bigger but worse team all but guaranteed the remainder of the game would be a chore.

Even with the numerical and qualitative advantage, Real were scared of engaging in case they triggered a swarm from Atalanta. Just to ensure this would be a tedious experience, Duvan Zapata, Atalanta's second striker came off injured directly before the 30th minute; the footballing gods were doing everything they could to give us the worst hour of European football possible.

At half time, Gasperini must have told his men the game was gone and to hunker down. Seeing his energetic team parking the bus is one of the most dispiriting sights the Champions League has served up all season, particularly when all it did was let Real do their perpetual passing routine slightly further up the pitch.

As the game dragged itself to the climax, the 0-0 felt correct. Real had been awful, Atalanta had been hobbled; the return leg at the Bernabeu would be the real match between these two.

Mendy, who drew the foul that preemptively ruined the game, didn't think so. With only four minutes left, he broke the deadlock. Atalanta were crowding the box and Mendy, receiving a simple cross from Luka Modric, saw a gap in the lines and fired it into the bottom right hand corner. Goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini's late response suggests there were so many players (of both sides) in front of him that he couldn't see it coming.

Real's celebration was one of surprise, Atalanta looked as if the inevitability had arrived. One thing united everyone: when the final whistle blew, everyone was glad it was over.