RB Leipzig has reached the semi-finals of the Champions League after a wear and tear against Atletico Madrid. The team of coach Julian Nagelsmann prevailed in an intense and tactical quarter-final duel in Lisbon against the Spanish top club thanks to goals from Dani Olmo (50th) and Tyler Adams (88th) 2-1 (0-0) . For the Saxons it was the greatest international success in the young club’s history.
In the round of the best four, RB will meet France’s top team Paris St. Germain with German coach Thomas Tuchel next Tuesday. At 33 years of age, three weeks and six days, Nagelsmann will set a milestone as the youngest semi-final coach in Champions League history.
Without the striker Timo Werner, who had switched to FC Chelsea, Leipzig earned the victory at the Estadio Jose Alvalade XXI thanks to a courageous and playful mature appearance. For the Madrilenians, who had shot defending champion Liverpool FC with team manager Jürgen Klopp out of the competition in the previous round, only substitute Joao Felix scored with a penalty (71). The victory is also financially worthwhile for RB and the professionals. According to media reports, five million of the approximately twelve million euros that the club collects in bonuses by entering the round of the best four will go directly to the team.
The eagerly awaited duel on the sidelines between Nagelsmann and Atletico coach Diego Simeone was largely calm. The two emotional coaches kept a distance of around 30 meters in their coaching zones, only in stoppage time of the first half did the two hot spurs verbally clash.
Nagelsmann tactically surprised his colleague from Argentina: RB played in a 3-3-3-1 system, in which striker Yussuf Poulsen, who replaced Werner as a striker, was supported by the three attacking midfielders Olmo, Christopher Nkunku and Marcel Sabitzer. Atletico didn’t seem to have expected that, the initial phase clearly belonged to the Leipzigers. National player Marcel Halstenberg had the 1-0 on the left foot in the fourth minute, but his shot from seven meters missed the goal.
As the game progressed, Madrid found their usual stability – and countered with lightning speed. The very conspicuous Yannick Carrasco, with whom national player Lukas Klostermann had problems on the right defensive side, had a great chance, but the RB goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi thwarted (13th).
As expected, the Rojiblancos left the initiative to RB and trusted their defensive strength. Leipzig did not do its opponent the favor of running into the open knife, but also withdrew itself again and again. So there were hardly any goal actions. There were enough duels for this, some of which were fought too hard. Like the violent clash between Halstenberg and Stefan Savic, who suffered a laceration and then played with a bandage.
After Leipzig’s opening goal by Olmo, which was preceded by a fine cross from the strong Marcel Sabitzer, Atletico had to open its defensive league more and more. In the 58th minute, Simeone brought the 126-million-euro man Felix, who then made a lot of steam and compensated for the penalty with a penalty. A deflected shot from Adams let RB cheer shortly before the end.
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