Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior celebrates with Jude Bellingham after scoring his aspect’s opening objective in the course of the Champions League spherical of 16 second leg match in opposition to RB Leipzig on the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, on March 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Real Madrid withstood an onslaught from RB Leipzig to safe a 1-1 draw within the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie that despatched them through to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 mixture victory on Wednesday.
RB Leipzig have been arguably the higher aspect and missed a number of gilt-edged probabilities. But Real Madrid elevated the tempo within the second half and finally did sufficient to seal their place within the final eight.
Bidding for a record-extending fifteenth Champions League title, Real took the lead thanks to a Vinicius Jr strike from a counter assault within the sixty fifth minute. But Leipzig’s Willi Orban levelled the rating three minutes later with a header to arrange a tense closing couple of minutes that included a strike that hit the crossbar by Dani Olmo.
Even although Real have a formidable report in Europe, having been knocked out within the spherical of 16 solely twice prior to now 14 years whereas profitable the title 5 instances throughout that interval, Carlo Ancelotti’s group started relatively cagily. Leipzig stored threatening to rating, with Orban lacking twice within the second half after taking pictures huge.
In the second half, Rodrygo changed Eduardo Camavinga and instantly Real have been enjoying with extra goal. Real appeared to have put the tie to mattress when Toni Kroos stole the ball and fed Jude Bellingham on the midway line, who took the ball up the Leipzig field.
He slipped a go to Vinicius, who had reduce in from the left into the centre circle earlier than rifling a shot into the left-hand nook. That objective solely appeared to hearth up Leipzig, who equalised inside three minutes when Orban acquired in entrance of Nacho to rating with a stooping header from a cross by David Raum.
In a closing 20 minutes by which a number of yellow playing cards have been handed out, Real have been enjoying with hearth and have been underneath repeated strain in their very own field with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who had already saved Real within the first leg, pressured to make a number of essential saves. Leipzig nearly took the sport to additional time when Dani Olmo noticed his shot ricochet off the bar in added time. Ultimately, Real did simply sufficient to qualify for one more quarterfinal.
Man City beat Copenhagen 3-1
Holders Manchester City cruised into the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over FC Copenhagen, a tenth consecutive win within the competitors that wrapped up a 6-2 mixture triumph.
City, who began the sport with a two-goal cushion, took care of enterprise early with first-half objectives by Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland. Akanji scored with City’s first probability, volleying in Alvarez’s nook within the fifth minute.
Alvarez scored his personal 4 minutes later, thanks to calamitous goalkeeping by Kamil Grabara, who let the City ahead’s shot slip through his arms seconds after Rodri pinged an effort off the crossbar.
Former Southampton participant Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled one again for the Danish champions within the twenty ninth minute however City’s goal-scoring machine Haaland slotted house a low, exhausting shot through two defenders seconds earlier than halftime, his twenty ninth objective of the season throughout all competitions.
City will discover out their quarterfinal opponents within the draw on March 15. City have reached the quarterfinals for the seventh straight season.
