Hanging on their lawn by Leipzig (1-1), Real Madrid validated their ticket to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in pain thanks to their advantage in the first leg (1-0) and a goal from Vinicius.
Published on: 03/06/2024 – 11:25 p.m. Modified on: 03/07/2024 – 00:05
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The Madrilenians, who returned to the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the fourth consecutive year, suffered again, Wednesday March 6, against a German team who will long regret having dominated the great Real twice, without managing to bring them down .
“We weren’t far away. We had chances to score, we lacked a little more efficiency, but that’s football. We can go away with our heads held high,” said L Leipzig’s Spanish winger Dani Olmo on Movistar+.
A first hitch – without consequences – this season on the European scene after seven victories in seven matches for the Merengue club, for whom elimination at this stage of the competition would have been a resounding failure.
“The objective has been achieved,” summed up Madrid captain Nacho in the mixed zone. “Today was a bad game from us, maybe the worst of the season,” he added.
To celebrate its 122 years of existence, Real wanted to finish the job and recall, as written on a tifo displayed before the match, that it is “the King of Europe”, with its fourteen continental crowns.
After a long domination by Leipzig, it was finally Vinicius Jr who opened the scoring for Real. © Javier Soriano, AFP
But the tactical move attempted by Carlo Ancelotti, who decided to lock in by depriving himself of the Brazilian Rodrygo’s kick-off in attack to bring the surplus in the middle thanks to the versatile Federico Valverde, did not bear fruit.
Regrets for Leipzig
English prodigy Jude Bellingham was the first victim of this choice, he who has been so comfortable in the 4-4-2 pattern since the start of the season with 20 goals in 30 matches.
Alone in the middle with two players on him almost every time and often with his back to the goal, Bellingham tried to zone out but was unable to exert his influence as usual and ended the first half showing a certain annoyance.
Defender Willi Orban equalized for Leipzig a few minutes after Vinicius’ goal. © Pierre-Philippe Marcou, AFP
The Madrilenians, imprecise and harmless with the exception of a header just above Vinicius (12th), have, as in the first leg in Germany, conceded several clear chances in the first period which could have cost them dearly.
Fortunately for them, they were not converted by the former Lensois Lois Openda, who lacked realism on three occasions (13th, 15th, 42nd), nor by the Dutch hope Xavi Simons (41st), and both teams returned to the locker rooms under the whistles.
Symbol of the frustration of the Madrid players, Vinicius then came close to the red card after violently shoving Orban (54th), far from the action in progress.
But as in Valencia last weekend, “Vini”, well muzzled until now by the ex-AS Monaco defender Benjamin Henrichs, ended up finding the fault on a counter perfectly led by Bellingham to free the Bernabéu (65th, 1-0).
A short-lived joy for the Merengue supporters, who began to tremble again barely a minute later after a shot from Xavi Simons was narrowly diverted by Rüdiger (66th).
The thousands of Germans who had made the trip exulted in their turn, captain Orban bringing his team to within one goal of extra time with an uncrossed header in front of Nacho (68th, 1-1).
Often alone in the middle, Real midfielder Jude Bellingham had a complicated evening against Leipzig. © Pierre-Philippe Marcou, AFP
The Leipzig players continued to believe in their luck until the end and almost succeeded in snatching thirty extra minutes, but the lob from the Spanish winger Dani Olmo at the end of added time crashed onto the bar. Lunin (91st).
With AFP
