Real Madrid 1-1 RB Leipzig (agg. 2-1): Clinical Vinicius Junior Goal Sends Heartbreaking Leipzig PackingSports Soccer 

Real Madrid 1-1 RB Leipzig (agg. 2-1): Clinical Vinicius Junior Goal Sends Heartbreaking Leipzig Packing

Some things are inevitable in the Champions League, as we had just witnessed Real Madrid qualify for the quarterfinals thanks to a sublime Vinicius Junior goal despite being second-best throughout the match. For context, the lacklustre Real squad failed to register a shot on target until Vinicius Junior produced one flash of brilliance to give the host a two-goal cushion. To rub salt further in the wounds, Vinicius Junior was not even supposed to stay on the pitch after he clashed with Willi Orban, where he squared up to Orban before shoving him in the throat with both hands. The confrontation only earned Vinicius Junior a yellow card as he went on and scored the decisive goal later.

Subpar Real Madrid Advanced After Two Worldies From Brahim Días and Vinicius Junior

Playing against Real Madrid in the Champions League is a daunting task, as no matter what you do, how well you play, however brave you are, how many chances you make, or how poorly they play, you just cannot find the result you wanted. Unfortunately, RB Leipzig was Real’s latest victim as the record champions somehow edged out the two-legged tie with two out-of-the-blue goals from Brahim Díaz and Vinicius Junior.

To refresh your minds, Leipzig had a goal ruled out, and Andriy Lunin made nine saves, equalling Madrid’s record in the competition in their first-legged tussle. Then, they conceded through a sublime Brahim Días goal, which came out of nowhere. Today, Real faced 20 shots in total from the Bundesliga side, with five of those coming in the opening 15 minutes as their first test, fortunately, resulted in an offside decision as Los Blancos played most of the opening half sitting in their own penalty box. The second half follow most of the trend set in the first half before the first flashpoint of the match ensured. 

For context, Vinicius Junior felt livid with a rough tackle and retaliated by facing up with Willi Orban before placing his hands on the defender’s throat and shoving him away. Despite accusation and a VAR check, Vinicius Junior somehow escaped a sending for his “less-than-cynical” shove on Willi Orban. How would faith repay Leipzig? In the most ironic turn of events, Vinicius Junior scored a blinder after Jude Bellingham set the Brazillian winger up. While Willi Orban got a consolation with his equaliser on the leg, Lady Fortune was not on their side as Dani Olmo hit the post in stoppage time, summing up the tie.

Carlo Ancelotti Admitted Real Madrid Rode Their Luck 

Despite the close-shave victory, Carlo Ancelotti was not delighted in his post-match conference as the Real gaffer stated: “We had to dig deep, more than we thought we might have to. It was difficult, and we played badly. We have to be critical because it has happened again. When we have a small lead, we don’t know how to handle it mentally. We don’t press, and we lack intensity. Maybe I made a mistake in the line-up, but I wanted to bring more intensity and energy. We didn’t do that. That’s where we have to improve and evaluate what we didn’t do well.”

The Italian manager even said that if “He had to change anyone in the game, he might as well have changed the coach”. He also admitted: “We have to accept criticism when it is deserved, and today’s criticism is deserved. The whistles at the end of the first half were deserved, and I think they woke us up. We played better in the second half. You need to have a demanding crowd like the one at the Bernabéu because the whistles woke us up at certain times in the second half. Although we’re pleased to reach the quarterfinals, we have to be critical, and we should’ve played better.”

Nevertheless, Carlo Ancelotti is looking forward rather than backwards, as he mentioned: “We have to make up for this soon. We have two games before the break. There, we’ll have time to relax mentally because the team is tired in this regard. After the break, we’ll come back better. We may have Courtois and Militão for the quarterfinals, and that’s good news.”

Also Read: Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne Fire Warning Towards Rivals After 6-2 Shellacking Against Luton

Squad Depth Could Factor in Real Madrid’s Title Aspirations

With all the talks surrounding Kylian Mbappé joining Real Madrid, many fans may forget it is only next season when we could see the exceptional striker, which Los Blancos severely lacked after the departure of Benzema. Even more, injuries have plagued the record Champions, and the overreliance on Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham could result in fatigue and least impressive performances. 

Fortunately for Real, the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals will be on April 9/10 and 16/17, meaning we could see the return of Courtois and Militão, who both suffered cruciate ligament injuries earlier this season. If that’s the case, Real Madrid would have a better time balancing their title charge on both fronts and ensuring the maximum chance for silverware.

If you want to follow Real’s journey, follow https://www.asiasport.com/ for coveted coverage and high-definition highlights of every game Los Blancos featured in this season.

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