Forced qualification, luck and… pushing Real Madrid against Leipzig!

Real Madrid are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with…

On their anniversary 122 years old since its inception, Carlo Ancelotti’s team has… seen it all from the extraordinary Leipzigwith the “merenches” on the one hand looking at them Vinicius is granted expulsion in 54′, and on the other hand luck smiled on them in 90+2′ with the post stopping Dani Olmo’s shot, with the match at the “Bernabeu” ending like this with final 1-1!

Combined with her victory in the first match in Germany (1-0), the “queen” qualified for the “8” of the event, in a couple where the “bulls” were the ones who won the impressions!

The goal for Real was scored by Vinicius in the 65th minute from a terrible shot from Bellingham, with the Germans responding in the 68th minute with their captain’s header, Orban.

In the coach’s mind:



THE Carlo Ancelotti lined up Real Madrid with a 4-4-1-1 system. Lunin started in goal, with Carvajal, Riedinger, Nacho and Mendy forming the back four. Kroos, Tswameni, Kamavinga and Valverde were on the axis, with Bellingham moving in a free role behind the only promoted, Vinicius.

On the other hand, Mr Marco Rose chose 4-4-2 for Leipzig. Gulasi was in goal once again, with Hendriks, Orban, Lukeba and Raum in the foursome of the defense. Haidara and Slager started on the axis, with Olmo and Simmons on the two wings and Openda and Cesko in the attacking duo.

The match:

As in the first game in Germany, so in the “Santiago Bernabeu”, the Leipzig she was the one who entered the match very strongly, having her lines high and suffocating the opposing defense. On the other, Real Madrid were… waiting, with the “queen” seeming to be “sitting around” in the 1-0 advantage of the first leg, as a result they are closing spaces and waiting in their own half.

The first phase of the match, however, belonged to the “merenches”, when after Tsouameni’s cross from the right, the Vinicius with the shoulder (!) tried to send the ball into the net at 12′. Leipzig’s response was immediate, as seconds later, they quickly went on the counterattack with him Open to pitch out. At 16′, in a similar phase, the “bulls” wasted a great opportunity with the Belgian, who from an advantageous position did not find a goal in a new phase of the Germans in transition.

The home team, loyal to Carlo Ancelotti’s plan, remained in a defensive position, not taking the slightest risk in the offensive part. Something that created great discomfort in the “Bernabeu” stands, since o people from Madrid often disapproved the footballers of his team!

Real never really threatened in the first 45 minutes, with Leipzig being the more active, having outplayed their opponents inside the pitch. In fact, the visitors threatened again in the 41st minute with his deflected shot Simmons to punch hard for Lunin. A minute later, Marco Rose’s team had it biggest moment of the matchwhen after a corner, the ball was laid to Openwho from a good point caught a strong shot, with the ball narrowly passing the right post.

Real’s disheartening performance in the first half “noised” Ancelotti, who at the start of the replay threw the Rodrigo instead of Kamavinga. The entry of the Brazilian, as well as the more aggressive approach of the home team in the second 45 minutes, drastically changed the image of the match. In the 48′however, Real almost made the mistake, with Openda catching Lunin’s exit, but the home keeper caught up and turned to block the young forward’s turn.

Then, the “merenches” turned up the heat, threatening in the 51st and 52nd minutes with the shots of Rodrigo and Carvajal. In the 54th minute, the referee, Davide Massa, as well as the VAR, Massimiliano Irati, did not see clear red of Viniciusgiving her away elimination to the Brazilian, who was booked for the foul on Orban, then pushed his opponent by the neck out of phase!

On the hour mark, Real had a very good moment as Bellingham’s deflected shot stopped on the bodies, while, three minutes later, the Cross shot by Rodrigo Gulasi made a difficult corner. Finally, the Spaniards found the goal in the 65th minutewhen they stole the ball in their area, they counterattacked with Bellinghamwho brilliantly broke into Vinicius’ diagonal drive, with the Brazilian from inside the area makes it 1-0!

Despite the shock, Marco Rose’s side didn’t… lose, but instead went straight on the attack, “touching” the equalizing goal in the 67th minute, with Riediger saving Simmons’ place from inside the area for a corner. ! The Bulls’ pressure continued and paid off a minute later when, after stoppage time, Raum headed home a cross from the left with Orban in a center forward role to score with beautiful header for 1-1!

From that point on, it’s game on became… rodeo, with the ball going up and down and one phase succeeding the other, as of course the nerves and the many hard markings. In the 71st minute, Valverde’s long shot went over the posts of the guests, while in the 73rd and 74th minutes, Openda and Cisco could not turn their chances into goals. From the 80s onwards, the Real Madrid retreated quite a bitin order to preserve the result in her favor, since with the total score at 2-1, she was the one who passed to the next phase.

The “bulls” chased with all their might the reversal and sending the match to overtime, with Hendricks’ shot in the 80th minute and Orban’s header in the 82nd minute missing the target. But the biggest phase of the guests came in the I’m a second laten, when after a period of time in the opponent’s area, o Danny Olmo with a lob from the left, mark the horizontal beam of Lunin!

The elevens:

Real Madrid (Carlo Ancelotti): Lunin, Carvajal, Riedinger, Nacho, Mendy, Tzumeni, Kroos (78′ Modric), Kamavinga (46′ Rodrigo), Bellingham (85′ Joselu), Valverde, Vinicius.

Leipzig (Marco Rose): Gulasi, Hendricks, Orban, Lukeba, Raum, Haidara (90′ Kable), Slager (85′ Elmas), Simmons, Dani Olmo, Openda (77′ Poulsen), Cesko (85′ Baumgartner).