On the morning of March 7, Real drew 1-1 with Leipzig, thereby entering the quarterfinals of the Champions League with a total score of 2-1.
In the 65th minute, Real Madrid counterattacked after a good cut by Toni Kroos. Jude Bellingham dribbled the ball close to the penalty area, before accurately poking the ball for Vinicius Junior to score at the corner, opening the score. After the beautiful goal, Vinicius ran out to the sideline, recreating his idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration of sitting on a billboard.
Just 3 minutes later, Leipzig equalized after Willi Orban’s header. However, that was not enough to help coach Marco Rose and his team surprise their experienced opponents in the Champions League.
Real won 2-1 after two matches in the round of 16, thereby reaching the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season.
Vinicius shined to help Real advance. |
To get a ticket to the top 8, Real Madrid spent 90 minutes full of hardship at home at the Bernabeu. In the first half, coach Carlo Ancelotti surprised him by arranging a 5-man midfield and leaving only Vinicius Jr. at the top. The La Liga representative patiently held the ball in the middle of the field and was not too keen on pushing the team high and finding a goal.
In the second half, Coach Ancelotti brought Rodrygo onto the field to replace Camavinga with orders to speed up. In the 60th minute, Real had the first chance. Toni Kroos had a dangerous shot from outside the penalty area but was blocked by the goalkeeper. 2 minutes later, it was Rodrygo’s turn to shoot from a tight angle. Peter Gulacsi still played solidly to save the away team. On the third approach to Leipzig’s goal in the 65th minute, the goal came for Real.
After conceding, Leipzig had nothing to lose so they attacked with all their might. The Bundesliga representative created many good opportunities but only once hit the home net. Minute 90+2, luck was on “Los Blancos” side, when Dani Olmo’s shot hit the bar.