Key events
82 min: Corner for Leipzig as Raum causes problems down the left. Orban gets his head on Raum’s ball … but heads down and wide.
80 min: Henrichs cuts in from the right to fire a shot from outside the box with his left foot … but it’s straight at Lunin. Hit the corners, lads, the corners.
79 min: Leipzig work the ball around, waiting for an opening as Madrid set up camp. Olmo nearly carves some space for a shot on the edge of the box.
78 min: Openda is off for Yussuf Poulsen. Leipzig’s top-scorer this season has had a tough night. Kroos is replaced by Modric.
“I realize that Madrid are the pantomime villains of European football, but I enjoy them,” writes Kári Tulinius. “They eschew the control that most top teams seek today. Instead they always back themselves to outscore their opponents. Their march towards titles is predictable, sure, but it’s fun, and I’ll take fun.”
75 min: Now a yellow for Kroos, who brings down Xavi. The cards are piling up.
74 min: Raum crosses the free-kick to Orban at the far post, who heads the ball across the goal for Openda to head at goal… but Carvajal gets in the way. Sesko has a shot moments later, but straight at Lunin.
73 min: The excellent Xavi skips forward and is brought down by Tchouameni, who gets a yellow for it. Getting feisty out there now.
72 min: Orban gets a yellow for fouling Bellingham. Harsh – I reckon the foul was on the Leipzig captain, with the Madrid midfielder stepping on his calf.
71 min: Valverde fires over from outside the box.
70 min: Vini Jr. wins a corner and gees up the crowd while he’s at it.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 RB Leipzig (Orban 68)
Wahooo, we’ve got a game on! Raum crosses in from the left and it’s the skipper, Orban, who heads/shoulders the ball past the previously unbeatable Lunin.
67 min: Rüdiger celebrates after pulling off two crucial blocks in the six-yard box. Madrid have been mediocre but lead 2-0 on aggregate.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 RB Leipzig (Vinícius 65)
Inevitable. Madrid counter and Bellingham has space to drive forward. Vini Jr. makes a brilliant run into the centre from the left and is played in with a deft pass … the finish is thumping and past Gulacsi into the net.
64 min: The corner doesn’t cause any damage to Leipzig.
63 min: Rodrygo is fed by Carvajal and shoots from the right side of the box, with Gulacsi getting low to tip it round for a corner.
60 min: Vini Jr. skips down the left for the first time tonight and slides a ball inside the box … the ball is laid off by Valverde to Bellingham whose shot is blocked before Kroos’ subsequent effort is saved by Gulacsi. Seems like there was a foul on a Leipzig player just before that Kroos shot.
59 min: Xavi and Raum stand over the ball. The former floats the ball in for Openda to head over at the far post. The forward just can’t find the target tonight.
58 min: Olmo wins a free-kick from shooting range after Toni Kroos slides in on him.
56 min: Sesko finds Henrichs in space on the right-hand side of the box, and a cross is fired in quick but Tchouaméni clears.
54 min: A yellow for Vini Jr, who shoves Orban to the ground. The Madrid winger has looked frustrated this half, having pushed Henrichs down a few minutes earlier.
51 min: Kroos’ ball into the box is headed out, and Rodrygo’s shot is blocked too.
50 min: Raum brings Rodrygo down on Real’s right-hand side. The left-back gets a yellow, Madrid a free-kick.
49 min: Olmo has a free-kick from a shooting position but finds the wall.
47 min: Lunin races out of the six-yard box to the edge, but Openda beats him to the ball. The forward then tries to bring the ball into the centre of the box to get his shot off, but can’t get it away, with Lunin getting down to intercept. Another chance goes begging for Leipzig after Lunin’s misjudgement.
46 min: Xavi brushes away Carvajal to give away a foul.
Peep!
Back we go, with Madrid going through as things stand.
Real are changing things up. Rodrygo replaces Camavinga. Carlo wants to live a little.
Yeah, I guess we all know what’s going to happen in the end.
Playing well against Real Madrid in a last 16 Champions League tie always feels like one of the most doomed and pointless of all human endeavours
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) March 6, 2024
HALF-TIME! Real Madrid 0-0 RB Leipzig
The whistle goes and it is the visitors who have created all the chances – but failed to convert. Madrid better up their game in the second half or else things are about to get nervy for this tournament’s greatest-ever side.
45+1 min: Kroos whips the ball into the box but Henrichs heads away.
45 min: Carvajal cuts inside from the right and is brought down by Olmo to win a free-kick.
44 min: Tchouaméni crosses from the right and Bellingham gets a head on it, but he’s too far from goal to pose a threat.
42 min: The corner finds Openda past the far post and on the edge of the box and he fires his shot wide once again when he should’ve tested the keeper. Leipzig should probably be ahead here.
41 min: Leipzig work it around patiently before Xavi gets to have a go inside the box, trying to curl it into the right top corner … but Lunin palms it away. A corner is the end-result.
40 min: Xavi’s corner is cleared away but Leipzig regain the ball and pass it about.
39 min: Xavi launches a shot which is blocked by Tchouaméni for a corner.
38 min: Valverde is in acres of space out on the right for Madrid, his hands in the air, but his teammates are playing neat little triangles out on the left without going anywhere.
36 min: Bellingham goes down on the left, with Henrichs – who has been lively going forward for Leipzig – bringing the Real No. 5 down.
34 min: Raum finds Openda on the left who fires in a teasing ball across goal … but there’s no-one on the end of it.
33 min: Leipzig look more dangerous at the moment, with Madrid offering little threat going forward. Valverde launches a lovely diagonal ball to Mendy on the edge of the box, but nothing of note follows.
