MADRID, March 4 (Xinhua) -- English clubs Aston Villa and Arsenal took significant steps toward the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday with convincing victories in the first legs of their last-16 ties.

Aston Villa secured a 3-1 win away to Club Brugge, while Arsenal thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1, effectively sealing their qualification on a day when the Madrid derby between Real and Atletico Madrid also grabbed attention.

Real Madrid struck early against Atletico, with Rodrygo scoring in the third minute after a pass from Fede Valverde. The forward cut inside and curled a shot into the far post.

Vinicius Jr had chances to extend Real's lead but was denied by Jose Gimenez and Jan Oblak. Atletico equalized through Julian Alvarez, who beat Eduardo Camavinga and finished with a precise shot past Thibaut Courtois.

Despite Atletico's strong start to the second half, Real Madrid regained the lead in the 54th minute when Brahim Diaz scored with a low shot from outside the area.

Aston Villa's win against Club Brugge saw Leon Bailey open the scoring in the third minute with a powerful finish. Maxim De Cuyper quickly equalized for the Belgian side, but Villa took control when Brandon Mechele scored an own goal. Marco Asensio added a third from the penalty spot to give Villa a commanding lead.

Arsenal made an emphatic statement in Eindhoven. Jurrien Timber's header from Declan Rice's free kick put them ahead in the 18th minute. Ethan Nwaneri doubled the lead just three minutes later with a left-foot shot.

Mikel Merino added a third in the 31st minute before Noa Lang converted a penalty for PSV before halftime. However, Arsenal responded quickly in the second half, with Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard scoring in quick succession to make it 5-1.

Odegaard struck again to complete his brace, prompting many home fans to leave. They missed Ricardo Calafiori adding a seventh goal with five minutes left.

In the day's final match, Karim Adeyemi's 21st-minute thunderbolt gave Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 lead over Lille. The French side leveled in the 68th minute when Hakon Haraldsson got a touch on Jonathan David's low cross to score. Enditem

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