Real Madrid were set to work for their place in the Champions League quarter-finals, beating RB Leipzig 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the second leg.
RB Leipzig were arguably the better side and missed several golden opportunities, registering 20 shots to Real Madrid’s 11.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s side picked up the pace in the second half and eventually did enough to secure qualification for the next round.
To add to a record 15th Champions League, Real took the lead in the 65th minute thanks to Vinicius Junior’s strike from a counter-attack.
But Leipzig’s Willy Orban equalized three minutes later with a header to set up a tense finale that included a strike that hit the crossbar from Dani Olmo.
How to win real
Although Real have an impressive record in Europe – having been knocked out just twice in 14 of the last 16 years while winning the title five times during that period – they started rather poorly.
Leipzig continued to threaten to score, with Orban missing twice in the second half after big shots.
In the second half, Rodrygo replaced Eduardo Camavinga and suddenly Real were playing with more purpose.
Real Madrid looked to have put the tie on hold when Toni Kroos stole the ball and fed Jude Bellingham on the halfway line, who took the ball into the Leipzig box.
He slipped a pass to Vinicius, who entered the center circle from the left before firing a shot into the left-hand corner.
The goal only seemed to fire up Leipzig, who leveled within three minutes when Orbán got in front of Nacho to score with a stomping header from David Raum’s cross.
In a final 20 minutes that saw a number of yellow cards handed out, Real played with fire and were under constant pressure in their box with goalkeeper Andriy Lonin, who had already saved Real in the first leg, making several key saves. He was forced to make a rescue.
Leipzig almost took the game to extra time when Dani Olmo saw his shot ricochet over the bar.
Ultimately, Real did enough to qualify for yet another quarter-final.
“Obviously we know it wasn’t the best game of the season,” Real captain Nacho said.
“Sometimes you just have bad games and that was the case tonight. It looks like a drama because of how we played but the important thing is that we qualify for the quarters. Let this be a lesson in what to do.” is the.”
Opta stats – Create RB Leipzig club history
- RB Leipzig have failed to progress from each of their last three UEFA Champions League last 16 ties, going down to Liverpool in 2020-21, Manchester City in 2022-23, and Real Madrid this season.
- Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham (4 goals, 4 assists) became the first English player to register both 4+ goals and 4+ assists since Steven Gerrard in 2007-08.
- RB Leipzig attempted 20 shots against Real Madrid – the most they have ever recorded in a single UEFA Champions League knockout stage game.
- Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. has been directly involved in 27 goals in his last 27 starts in the UEFA Champions League, scoring 14 and assisting 13.
What’s next for Real Madrid and RB Leipzig?
Title-chasing Real Madrid face Celta Vigo in La Liga on Sunday. Start at 5.30pm.
RB Leipzig, who are just out of the Champions League places at the weekend, host Bundesliga basement club Darmstadt on Saturday; Start at 2.30pm.
Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight showdown with Francis Ngannou takes place on Friday March 8, live on Sky Sports Box Office at around 11pm with the main event expected. Book Joshua vs. Ngannou now!
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