In Madrid, Real Madrid managed to hold off RB Leipzig in a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 match, securing a 2-1 aggregate victory and advancing to the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Despite Leipzig’s strong performance and missed opportunities, Real Madrid picked up the pace in the second half to secure their spot in the next round.
Real Madrid, aiming for their 15th Champions League title, took the lead with a goal from Vinicius Jr in the 65th minute, capitalizing on a counter attack. However, Leipzig’s Willi Orban quickly equalized with a header just three minutes later, setting the stage for a tense final few minutes that included a close shot from Dani Olmo that hit the crossbar.
While Real Madrid has a strong European track record, having only been knocked out in the round of 16 twice in the past 14 years and winning the title five times in that span, Carlo Ancelotti’s team started the match cautiously. Leipzig continued to threaten, with Orban missing two chances in the second half.
Substitute Rodrygo injected new energy into Real Madrid’s play in the second half after replacing Eduardo Camavinga. The team seemed to secure their victory when Toni Kroos intercepted the ball and set up Jude Bellingham for a run towards the Leipzig goal.
Bellingham then passed to Vinicius, who scored with a powerful shot from the left-hand corner. However, Leipzig quickly responded, with Orban scoring a header from a cross by David Raum to level the score. The final 20 minutes saw Real Madrid under pressure and goalkeeper Andriy Lunin making crucial saves.
Leipzig nearly pushed the match to extra time, but Olmo’s shot hit the crossbar in added time. Despite the intense pressure, Real Madrid did enough to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
Real Madrid captain Nacho acknowledged the team’s performance, stating, “Obviously we know it wasn’t the best game of the season. Sometimes you just have bad games and tonight was the case. It looks like a drama because of how we played but what really matters is we qualified for the quarters. Let that be a lesson for what’s to come.”
(Reporting by Charlie Devereux, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
