Real Madrid fans will point towards Wolfsburg, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain and suggest that some of their greatest Champions League triumphs came with a slow start to the knockout phase.
Describing Los Blancos’ 1-1 draw with RB Leipzig at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as slow would be an understatement, as a Real Madrid team that played far below their ability was able to avoid an embarrassing elimination.
In truth, the German side were kept at a safe distance by Ancelotti’s charges, but there were a number of nervous moments, despite the hosts taking the lead in the second-half.
The skeleton of a generational team is there in Madrid
There is talent wherever you look in the current Real Madrid team… and it’s young. When you factor in the likely addition of Kylian Mbappe in the summer, this is a potentially generational team that the club has recruited.
With that being said, they haven’t yet mastered the art of the rope-a-dope, which many great teams use to keep fitness levels fresh over the course of a season.
After taking a 1-0 victory in Germany it became obvious that RB Leipzig were set up to try and score the first goal.
Lois Openda was recalled to the starting XI after missing the first-leg, and it was the visitors who made the early chances.
Xavi Simons tested Andriy Lunin, whilst Openda and Benjamin Sesko missed glaring chances. The best of which fell to Sesko who was one-on-one with Lunin but fired a shot straight at him. Sesko’s only saving grace was the fact replays showed he was offside.
Real Madrid’s opener came through their best two players. Jude Bellingham expertly orchestrated a counter-attack, providing a clever pass in behind at just the right time, and Vinicius Jr. finished with a powerful first time shot into the net.
Leipzig, though, hit back immediately. Real Madrid’s continuous inability to clear their lines allowed the German team to string multiple corners together, and eventually a clever cross was aimed at Willi Orban, who nodded the ball into the far corner beyond Lunin.
Real Madrid held out, although Dani Olmo tried an audacious lob which hit the bar with virtually the last kick of the game.
Nevertheless, Real can now start to prepare for the next round, although they have to raise their performance levels.
Read the full article here