On Wednesday, Real Madrid celebrated its 122nd birthday – and received plenty of presents. After the scandalous circumstances in Real’s 1-0 win in the first leg of the round of 16 in Leipzig, when an early goal was annulled, there was also a controversial decision in the second leg: Real’s striker Vinícius Junior was not sent off after clearly physically assaulting Willi Orban – and was then able to take the lead. Orban scored the equalizer. The 1-1 draw was a respectable success for the fifth-place team in the Bundesliga, but not enough to allow them to dream of reaching the quarter-finals. Leipzig’s exit is good news for Borussia Dortmund: BVB is now qualified for the extremely lucrative 2025 Club World Cup. Just like FC Bayern from Germany and the Champions League record winner Real Madrid.
Real Madrid had already achieved their first victory on the eve of the game. The Spanish record champions defied the European Football Union Uefa’s permission to close the roof that was installed a few months ago. UEFA saw no need; Real Madrid raised security concerns: What if drones suddenly fly? It wasn’t the first Champions League game with a gym atmosphere involving Madrid (the final in Cardiff 2017, which Real Madrid won against Juventus, also took place under a closed roof), but it was a premier class premiere at the Bernabéu. The Madrid players like this, for acoustic reasons. The echo of the chants intimidated the opponents more.
Against Leipzig, however, the crowd began to turn against the home team the longer the game lasted. And at halftime there was a loud whistle concert, the likes of which had not been heard in Madrid for a long time during Champions League games. And that despite the fact that Leipzig missed a few opportunities to light a real fire under the roof.
Real Madrid played for a half as if coach Carlo Ancelotti had been playing ballads by Paul Anka in the dressing room. Real Madrid had more possession after 45 minutes. But it was extremely sterile and therefore anything but to the taste of the Madrid audience. Leipzig, on the other hand, were defensively compact – and were able to spoil them with one or two delicacies. Alone: the Bundesliga fifth-placed team sinned again and again in front of the goal. Just like in the first leg, which was lost because of Leipzig’s excess of chances.
Vinicius pushes Orban – the referee only punishes him with a yellow card
Already in the tenth minute, Benjamin Sesko caused déjà vu when he ran alone towards Andrij Lunin and only shot at the goalkeeper’s hand before the linesman signaled offside. Lois Openda then had two opportunities – the second time after a dream assist from Dani Olmo (13th/16th). And Leipzig ended the idleness that followed again: First, Xavi forced Simons into a dream save with a wonderfully shot shot (40th), shortly before the half-time whistle, Openda shot past the goal from the left of the goal from fourteen meters from the right following a corner.
Ancelotti responded by bringing in a striker in Rodrygo for the disappointing midfielder Camavinga – and with it a higher level of energy. He not only introduced himself through gestures asking the audience to increase the noise level in the stands. But also through a shot from a tight angle that Peter Gulasci saved. And then things happened that were anything but rare at the Bernabéu.
In the 54th minute there was an unpunished foul by Vinícius Junior on Willi Orban in midfield – and then a provocation from the Brazilian when Orban had picked himself up again. Orban confronted Vinícius – and the Brazilian knocked Orban over with both hands close to his neck. An act of violence – except for the referee, who showed a yellow card, and the VAR, who did not intervene. Then you could set the clock according to when Vinícius would hit. It happened after a counterattack that Bellingham drove across half the field, i.e. in the 65th minute.
“I’ll say it quite honestly: If it had happened the other way around and one of our players attacked a Real Madrid player, then he would be thrown off the pitch, one hundred percent,” was Leipzig’s Benjamin Henrichs’ verdict on the broadcaster after the game Dazn to the scene. But he also had a lot of trouble with his team’s evaluation of chances.
Willi Orban scores the equalizer.
(Photo: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Leipzig showed a reaction. First with a shot from Xavi, which Real’s defense chief Antonio Rüdiger deflected for a corner (67th) – and shortly afterwards with the equalizer, which was extremely nice to see: Willi Orban scored with a flying header from five meters away after a cross from David Raum.
Coach Marco Rose brought in a lot of attacking power. But many clear actions no longer materialized. Until Dani Olmo took the ball with his chest in the penalty area in stoppage time – and placed a final lob onto the crossbar of Real Madrid’s goal. But there was still a small scare that didn’t spoil the Madrilenians’ birthday.