March 17, 2021 - HeadtoHeadFootball

NFL

Sources: 49ers, Wiliams agree to historic deal

5:40 AM ET

MSA/Icon Sportswire

The 49ers traded for Williams on the third day of the 2020 NFL draft, sending a fifth-round selection and a 2021 third-round choice to the Washington Football Team.

Upon joining the Niners, they agreed to add a clause in his contract that meant they could not tag him this offseason. Williams, 32, (July 19), went on to stabilize the left tackle position in place of the retired Joe Staley, starting 14 games and returning to his previous Pro Bowl form in the process.

All of that came in Williams’ first season back after sitting out all of 2019 as he engaged in a dispute with Washington over the handling of his injury issues and his contract.

At the end of the season, Williams maintained that he hoped to re-sign with San Francisco but also acknowledged that he wanted to see what a premiere tackle could get on the open market since players at his position of that caliber rarely make it that far into free agency.

Since entering the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, Williams has started 133 games, earning eight Pro Bowl berths and a second-team All Pro nod in 2015.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.

Soccer

Real Madrid return to UCL quarters with dominant win over Atalanta

Real Madrid are off to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since winning the tournament in 2017-18.

Los Blancos punished a pair of errors to secure a 3-1 win over Atalanta (4-1 on aggregate) on Tuesday. Marco Sportiello’s absent-minded pass up the middle handed Karim Benzema the easiest of tap-ins in the 34th minute, and Rafael Toloi doubled the damage by conceding a penalty in the second half. Vinicius Junior, who made Swiss cheese out of Atalanta’s defense with his mazy dribbling ability, won the spot-kick, and Sergio Ramos converted with ease.

Luis Muriel’s free-kick in the 83rd minute provided nothing but false hope. Mere seconds later, Madrid broke into space, and substitute Marco Asensio dispatched the insurance marker past the helpless Sportiello.

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini made the bold decision to bench striker Duvan Zapata and start Sportiello instead of Pierluigi Gollini, who backstopped the club’s remarkable run in the Champions League last season.

Gasperini said he has no regrets.

Nothing worked for the Italian side. Remo Freuler’s red card spoiled the first leg, which Madrid won 1-0 thanks to Ferland Mendy’s late goal, and after a bright start at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Tuesday, Atalanta failed to take care of the details.

On the other hand, everything seemed to fall into place for Madrid. Ramos made his second appearance since recovering from a knee injury, and Benzema, who missed nearly a month with an adductor issue, played the full 90 minutes for a third consecutive match. The Frenchman has four goals since returning to play.

Toni Kroos and Luka Modric also performed well in the absence of Casemiro, who was suspended for the second leg.

Madrid will now enter Friday’s quarterfinal draw – and the business end of the season – with most of their star players available. Dani Carvajal and Eden Hazard remain out with muscle problems.