Leipzig one step closer to last 16 after 3-2 win over Real Madrid
Sports
RB Leipzig beat Real Madrid 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
LEIPZIG (Reuters) - RB Leipzig took a big step towards the Champions League knockout stage with a 3-2 home win over an under-strength Real Madrid side thanks to goals from Josko Gvardiol, Christopher Nkunku and Timo Werner on Tuesday (Oct 25).
The German side are second in Group F on nine points, one behind leaders Real and three ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk, who they face in their final group game next week in need of a draw to guarantee a top-two spot.
With Real Madrid having already qualified for the last 16, manager Carlo Ancelotti rested several regular starters and his side were dominated early on by the young Leipzig team.
The home side took the lead 13 minutes into the game with Gvardiol scoring on the rebound from a Thibaut Courtois save after a bullet header by Andre Silva.
With the European champions still recovering from the first blow, Leipzig extended their advantage five minutes later when David Raum tried to pass into the box but the ball deflected off a defender into the path of Nkunku who was quick to react and rifled the ball in off the crossbar.
Leipzig had two more great chances but Courtois saved Amadou Haidara s strike from the edge of the box and Nkuku put a close-range shot wide after beating the onrushing Courtois to the ball but ending up with a tight angle trying to find the empty net.
"I think we came out very distracted in the beginning of the game and were caught sleeping against a team that is very aggressive," Real goalkeeper Courtois told Movistar Plus.
"Coach Ancelotti warned us before the game that they are a feisty team at home, very aggressive, but we still started slow and paid the price.
"It’s unacceptable our performance in the beginning of the match, we can’t concede two goals from corners in the start of the match."
VINICIUS HEADER
However, what was a one-sided affair slowly became a ding-dong battle, with Real growing in strength and the hosts slowing down after their frantic but hard to maintain rhythm of the first minutes of the match.
Vinicius Jr got Real back into the game just before the break with a header that went just inside the left post.
Real came back even stronger in a lively second-half, with the Spanish giants dominating possession and missing several chances albeit leaving themselves exposed to counter-attacks.
Leipzig coach Marco Rose saw the opportunity and made three substitutions to seize on the opportunity to counter.
They missed three chances through Nkunku and Dani Olmo before substitute Werner struck from close range to finish a quick attack in the 81st minute and put Leipzig 3-1 up.
After being fouled, Rodrygo got up to convert a penalty for Real s second goal in added time butit was not enough to avoid their first loss in all competitions this season.
"We knew Madrid were strong on the ball and there would be phases where we were pushed back," said Werner. "Rose told us to be brave when in possession and that s what we did.
"We have achieved what we wanted. We have it in our own hands (to go through to the last 16) and don t even need to win against Shakhtar now."
