Champions League: Atletico beat Juventus 2-0, City 3-2 win at Schalke

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Late goals from Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin gave Atletico Madrid a 2-0 home win over Italian champions Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 in Madrid on Wednesday night.

Gimenez slid to the floor in a crowded penalty box to bundle the ball into the net from close range in the 78th minute, after former Juve forward Alvaro Morata had had a goal ruled out following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

Atletico also had a penalty awarded then taken away by the technology earlier in the game but only grew in determination and captain Godin grabbed a vital second goal in the 83rd minute to take into the return leg in Turin.

"It's a magnificent result, we scored twice and they did not, but we still have the second leg, and we know the 90 minutes in Turin will be just as difficult as they were tonight," Godin said.

"The atmosphere was unbelievable, and luckily we were able to overcome adversity after the decisions of the referee and VAR," he added.

Both teams have reached four of the last five Champions League finals but without lifting the trophy.

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Juve's signing of Ronaldo was a clear attempt to boost their firepower and hopes of winning the competition but the man who scored 22 times against Atletico as a Real Madrid player was kept relatively quiet on his return to the Spanish capital.

Meanwhile, Manchester City earned a last-gasp 3-2 victory over Schalke 04 on the road.

City scored twice in the last four minutes thanks to Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling to dramatically turn the game around after leading 1-0 but then conceding two penalties in seven minutes.

The game between FC Schalke 04 and Manchester City at Veltins-Arena, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, February 20, 2019. /VCG Photo

City coach Pep Guardiola says his 10-man team must improve after the game, whose side will also be without yellow-carded Fernandinho for the return leg in Manchester on March 12.

"So still we are not ready to fight for the final stages (of the competition). That is the reality. We played good, but we lost some easy balls, which you are not allowed to do in this competition. And we conceded two penalties," said Guardiola.

City's Champions League record is far less illustrious than their recent Premier League one, having reached the semi-finals only once – during the 2015-16 campaign.

The first legs of all the Champions League round of 16 matches have ended.

The final will be staged at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid at the end of the season in June.

(With input from Xinhua and Reuters)