Update
Quarter-finals gone, Real are shaking
Extremely strong Leipzig misses opportunities and sensations
March 6, 2024, 10:52 p.m
RB Leipzig brings the great Real Madrid to the brink of defeat – and yet is eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16. The Saxons are the better team in the legendary Bernabeu and are at least aiming for extra time. Poor exploitation of opportunities prevents the coup.
Marco Rose congratulated Carlo Ancelotti fairly on his progress, Dani Olmo shook his head in frustration: Despite a courageous performance, RB Leipzig narrowly missed the sensation at the giants Real Madrid and was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The Saxons only managed a 1-1 (0-0) draw against the record winners, who were harmless for long stretches, and were unable to turn the 0-1 scoreline from the first leg – the Spaniard Olmo scored the deserved winning goal shortly before the end with a lob on the crossbar ( 90.+2) missed.
RB has to wait for its first quarter-finals in the premier class since 2020. Captain Willi Orban (68th) quickly equalized Real’s Vinicius Junior’s opening goal (65th), but Leipzig’s last chance for the title was lost due to their elimination. “If you take the 180 minutes together, we had significantly better chances than Real,” said Benjamin Henrichs at DAZN: “We just have to reward ourselves. We shouldn’t miss as many chances to score as we had.” “Leipzig did well. They defended very, very well and found the way to play good counterattacks through defending,” praised Rio world champion Toni Kroos.
For coach Marco Rose’s team, the rest of the season is now just about qualifying for the lucrative Champions League again – in fifth place, the Saxons are lurking one point behind Borussia Dortmund. With Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger, Real are still aiming for their 15th premier class title and have made it to the last eight for the fourth time in a row.
After the unfortunate defeat in the first leg, including refereeing bad luck and goal theft, Rose announced a courageous appearance and “no backing down” at the Bernabeu – and his team followed suit. The Leipzig team didn’t hide at all at the beginning and quickly switched gears whenever they won the ball.
RB with chances, Real counters coldly
Lois Openda had Leipzig’s first chances, the goalscorer missed a shot from a good position miserably (12th), then just a little later (15th). In particular, playmaker Dani Olmo distributed the ball well in Leipzig’s offensive game; Real didn’t seem to be solid defensively in the early stages. As a result, the Royal team got a little more calm in their actions, Kroos directed the Madrilenians’ game with his usual confidence. However, there were initially no great chances for the hosts, RB stood compactly and waited for a counterattack. The game noticeably slowed down, Real risked little and slowed down the pace.
But RB increased the pressure shortly before the break, Xavi Simons failed with a shot past Real keeper Andrij Lunin (41′) – after the subsequent corner, Openda shot just wide of the goal (42′). The guests’ belief in the sensation grew, and the home fans in the Bernabeu saw off their team with whistles into the dressing room.
Even after the break, Leipzig were the more active team, often lacking precision with the last pass. Real slowly lost their nerve, Vinicius Junior was lucky to get away with a yellow card when he grabbed Willi Orban’s neck (54′).
The game remained open, and Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi parried a shot from substitute Rodrygo in the near corner (63′). Vinicius did better a little later on a counterattack and after a pass from Jude Bellingham. But RB’s hope returned after Orban’s goal. The Saxons pressed, but Olmo only hit the crossbar and further scoring chances were wasted.