Marcel Sabitzer-inspired RB Leipzig ease into Champions League quarter-finals with Tottenham Hotspur demolition
Marcel Sabitzer scored twice on the night as RB Leipzig swept into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in their history, courtesy of a polished 4-0 aggregate win over Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur.
RB Leipzig 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Leipzig win 4-0 on agg.)
Goal: 1-0 Sabitzer (10'), 2-0 Sabitzer (21'), 3-0 Forsberg (87')
After winning the first leg 1-0 on English soil, Leipzig set out to make the most of home advantage at the sold-out Red Bull Arena. Manchester City loanee wing-back Angelino fired off the first shot in anger, before Julian Nagelsmann’s side extended their aggregate lead. Timo Werner’s shot was charged down by Eric Dier, but Leipzig’s top scorer - on target from the penalty spot in the reverse fixture - calmly collected the follow-up and fed Sabitzer, who arrowed into the bottom corner from fully 20 yards, despite the best efforts of Hugo Lloris. The linesman’s flag denied Werner his second goal of the tie, before Sabitzer completed his brace with a header from Angelino’s pin-point cross. Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi denied Giovani Lo Celso on the stroke of half-time following Tottenham’s only meaningful incursion into Leipzig territory.
Leipzig continued to keep last season’s beaten finalists at arm’s length for much of the second period. A serious-looking injury to defender Nordi Mukiele put something of a dampener on proceedings, though the Bundesliga title contenders still fashioned half chances through AS Roma loanee Patrik Schick and Werner. Leipzig showed a real maturity the longer the half wore on, with a rare Dele Alli attempt - hit straight at Gulacsi - the closest Spurs went to getting on the scoresheet. Sabitzer made way to a standing ovation with three minutes of normal time remaining and his replacement, Emil Forsberg, didn’t hang about in making his presence felt. After Gedson Fernandes blocked an effort from substitute midfielder Tyler Adams, the Sweden international whipped the ball into the corner with his first touch to wrap up a comprehensive win.
Match stats
- Leipzig are through to the quarter-finals for the first time, in only their second season of Champions League football.
- Sabitzer now has four goals in the Champions League this season, joining Werner and Forsberg as Leipzig's joint-top scorers in the competition this term.
- Forsberg has scored six Champions League goals for Leipzig. He scored their first in the competition in the 2017/18 group stage.
- US international Adams made his Champions League debut.
- Nagelsmann is the youngest coach in history to win a Champions League knockout tie, aged 32 years and 211 days.
- Spurs have lost all four of their games against Bundesliga opposition this season, conceding 14 goals and scoring just three. They were beaten 7-2 and 3-1 by Bayern Munich in the group stage.
Line-ups
Leipzig: Gulacsi - Klostermann, Upamecano, Halstenberg - Mukiele (Adams 55'), Sabitzer (c) (Forsberg 87'), Laimer, Angelino - Nkunku (Haidara 59'), Schick, Werner
Unused subs: Mvogo, Poulsen, Lookman, Olmo
Out: Ampadu (back), Kampl (ankle), Konate (hamstring), Orban (knee)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Tottenham: Lloris (c) - Aurier (Fagan-Walcott 90+1'), Tanganga, Alderweireld, Sessegnon - Dier, Winks - Lamela, Lo Celso (Gedson Fernandes 80'), Lucas - Alli
Unused subs: Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Skipp, Ndombele, Parrott
Out: Bergwijn (ankle), Davies (knock), Kane (hamstring), Sanchez (not included), Sissoko (knee), Son (broken arm)
Coach: Jose Mourinho
As it happened
RB Leipzig 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Leipzig win 4-0 on agg.)
Goal: 1-0 Sabitzer (10'), 2-0 Sabitzer (21'), 3-0 Forsberg (87')
LEIPZIG ARE THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS!
90+5' GEDSON FERNANDES EFFORT
All that remains to make this a perfect night for Leipzig is for them to keep a clean sheet, and Gulacsi tries to ensure that with a save from Gedson Fernandes.
90' SIX MORE MINUTES
Due to the injuries, there are going to be six minutes more for the Leipzig fans to wait before celebrating.
87' GOAL FOR LEIPZIG - FORSBERG!
Sooner than I could even write that he has come on to replace Sabitzer, Forsberg has scored with his first touch! Adams has an effort blocked and the ball falls to the Swede, who instinctively prods it in. Game, set and match, and smiles all round.
84' UPAMECANO AGAIN!
The home fans love this! Upamecano is galloping up the field again and Tanganga is this time in his way as he gets into a shooting position. The roof would have been blown into orbit if the Leipzig defender had managed to score there.
82' UPAMECANO EFFORT
He may be in the team primarily to prevent goals, but Dayot Upamecano has been given a different script, it seems, as he powers in a volley which slams into the chest of Tanganga and sends the Spurs defender flying. He gets up a bit groggily, but clearly had his spinach today.
80' FIRST CHANGE FOR TOTTENHAM
Gedson Fernandes replaces an exhausted Lo Celso. The first change of the night for Jose Mourinho.
78' LEIPZIG POSSESSION
There seems to be an air of inevitability about things now as Leipzig pass the ball around without a Tottenham player getting close to them. You should never speak too soon, but with just over ten minutes to go, it looks like Leipzig have earned their place among the top eight clubs in Europe.
74' ALLI CLOSE!
A good chance for Tottenham with Alli meeting Moura's cross, but his seffort is too close to Gulacsi to cause the last line of the Leipzig defence any problems.
71' YELLOW CARD - SABITZER
A blot on his copybook tonight, as Sabitzer is shown a yellow card. Arguably one he could have avoided, and means he walks a tightrope heading into the quarter-finals, assuming his goals tonight prove to be enough to take Leipzig through.
70' YELLOW CARD - ALLI
The frustration is growing among the men in dark blue shirts, with Dele Alli the latest to earn a yellow card.
70' IT'S A SELL-OUT!
The attendance has been announced and, unsurprisingly, it is a full-house here in Leipzig with over 42,000 enjoying their night (well, most of them are).
68' YELLOW CARD - TANGANGA
Tanganga believes wrestling is the only way to stop Werner, but the referee says no. Yellow.
60' WERNER MISS
Like Schick before him, Werner sends his effort high and handsome. All well and good when you lead 3-0 on aggregate.
59' HAIDARA REPLACES NKUNKU
An indication that Nagelsmann is happy with this result? Haidara comes on for Nkunku, giving Leipzig a slightly more defensive look.
57' SCHICK OFF TARGET
Leipzig's first shot of the second half comes from Schick, but it is way off target. He can afford to miss with the result as it currently stands, with just over 30 minutes separating Leipzig from making history.
55' ADAMS ON
Mukiele is carried off on a stretcher and Tyler Adams takes his place.
54' MUKIELE INJURY
A bit of concern for the state of Mukiele, who took the ball into his face on an unfortunate rebound. The medics are on the field.
50' YELLOW CARD - LAIMER
The first Leipzig player to go into the referee's book is Laimer.
48' SPURS ON THE FRONT FOOT
Like in the early exchanges of the first half, it is Tottenham who are asking the questions with Lo Celso looking particularly motivated. Leipzig just need to resist and they have a first ever Champions League quarter-final draw to look forward to.
SECOND HALF
The action is back underway in Leipzig, with no changes made yet.
HALF TIME - RB LEIPZIG 2-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
A great scoreline for Leipzig midway through the second leg of this tie, giving them a three-goal advantage overall.
45+1 YELLOW CARD - WINKS
Another foul of frustration, or a professional foul, as they call them, and Winks' name is in the book.
45' SCHICK CLOSE!
He did not know too much about it, but the ball ricochets off Schick's shin and very nearly goes into the far corner, with Lloris scrambling to keep it out.
45' TOTTENHAM FIGHTING
A flurry towards the end of the first half, with Spurs not going down without a fight. Lo Celso is leading the game to Leipzig, but the Bundesliga club are holding firm.
41' FIRST BIG CHANCE FOR SPURS
Gulacsi has to be brave and intelligent to get down and turn a Lo Celso effort away, without Alli getting a touch to it first, and without it then falling to another Spurs' shirt. A warning to Leipzig, if they needed one, that this tie is not yet over.
35' SABITZER SENSES HAT-TRICK
After netting his first brace of the season, Sabitzer wants more. His volley from fully 25 yards fails to get past the first Tottenham defender, though.
34' YELLOW CARD - SESSEGNON
Perhaps a bit of frustration there for Ryan Sessegnon, whose name is the first to go into the referee's book for a foul on Mukiele.
31' WERNER CURLER
Suddenly things open up in front of Werner, and he is not the kind of man you want to offer such an invitation to. He tries precision over power, but cannot get enough bend on the ball to bring it inside the post. That is nevertheless two chances in a handful of minutes, and we know what they say about good things coming in threes...
28' WERNER CHANCE!
The break is on for Leipzig, led by Patrik Schick. He chooses to play in Werner to his right and the German striker gets in a low shot which Lloris gets down well to thwart. Leipzig are looking razor-sharp on the counterattack tonight.
21' GOAL FOR LEIPZIG - SABITZER AGAIN!
What a threat Angelino is posing down the left for Leipzig, and that is where the second goal has come from. His spurt and cross back for Sabitzer has been headed past Lloris, who tried in vain to pluck the ball out of his goal after it had already crossed the line! 2-0 for Leipzig, 3-0 on aggregate!
19' LEIPZIG GOAL RULED OUT!
Leipzig have the ball in the back of the net once again, but the offside flag - and confirmation by VAR - means it does not count. Angelino's cross was laid on a plate for Werner, but he had crept just beyond the last Spurs defender before converting from close range.
18' HOSTS LOOKING COMFORTABLE
That early goal means Leipzig now have the cushion they wanted, and they are looking comfortable here. They do not need to take any risks.
13' MUKIELE OFFSIDE
Mukiele finds space beyond the Tottenham defence and strikes into the side-netting. It would not have counted, though, as the offside flag was raised.
10' GOAL FOR LEIPZIG - SABITZER!
Leipzig have the lead on the night, and extended their advantage on aggregate! Timo Werner cannot find a way through, but the ball finally lands at the feet of Marcel Sabitzer, who drills his effort in!
7' ANGELINO EFFORT!
The first shot of the night comes from a Leipzig player, although Angelino cannot get his effort on target at full-stretch. Leipzig currently playing counterattacking football in front of their own fans. They don't need to score tonight, remember.
5' LEIPZIG ON BACK FOOT
The guests have made a strong start here. They are, naturally, chasing the tie and trying to get an early goal to put the pressure on Leipzig.
2' LEIPZIG CORNER
Spurs showed a lot of attacking intent straight from kick-off and it was actually Leipzig who had the first counter-attack, earning a corner which Tottenham have managed to clear.
...ACTION!
We are underway in Leipzig!
LIGHTS, CAMERAS…
As the team's prepare to emerge, a light show accompanies the reading of the teams. A full house at the Red Bull Arena tonight, ready to see Leipzig make history.
GOOD IN GOLD
Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann certainly looks the part, with a golden tie and a similar coloured jacket. He's dressed for the occasion, but will his team be as good as gold tonight?
WARM-UPS UNDERWAY
The two teams are currently warming up on the Red Bull Arena pitch, which has not needed any additional watering as nature has taken care of that. It is not raining right now, but the pitch is likely to be very slick. Meanwhile, the wind is making it feel a lot colder than the eight degrees centigrade shown on the thermometer.
KLOSTERMANN'S CONFIDENCE
Alongside Upamecano in Leipzig's back three is Lukas Klostermann, who was optimistic about his team's chances when asked at the pre-match press conference. "We know that Tottenham are a very dangerous team, particularly on the break, but we dealt with them well in the first leg and I'm confident we'll do it again [tonight]."
UPAMECANO BACK
Knowing that keeping a clean sheet would guarantee progress to the quarter-finals, having Dayot Upamecano back after he missderd the first leg due to suspension is encouraging for Leipzig. Need more encouragement? What about the fact that of the five games the French defender has played in the Champions League this season, only once did Leipzig get a result which would see them eliminated tonight (2-0 defeat to Olympique Lyonnais).
WERNER RECHARGED
Werner, who has seven goals in the Champions League – all scored away from home – is well rested and recharged for tonight, having featured only for half an hour against Wolfsburg at the weekend. Nagelsmann clearly had tonight in mind when he left his top striker on the bench, and a first Champions League goal at the Red Bull Arena tonight would more than vindicate that choice.
LEIPZIG TEAM NEWS
No surprises on the Leipzig teamsheet, with Patrik Schick continuing in attack alongside top scorer Timo Werner. Man City loanee Angelino also keeps his place, while USA international Tyler Adams returns to the squad following injury. He's a very handy player to have on what is a very strong bench.
TOTTENHAM TEAM NEWS
No Harry Kane, no Heung-Min Son and now no Davinson Sanchez or Ben Davies. Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon come into the visiting defence - otherwise, it's as expected from Jose Mourinho.
WELCOME!
It's advantage Leipzig in the Champions League last-16. Timo Werner settled matters from the penalty spot in the first leg in London - can Leipzig get the result they need to progress to the quarter-finals for the first time? Stay tuned to find out!
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