Home ›› 27 Oct 2022 ›› Sport
RB Leipzig earned an impressive 3-2 victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League to inflict the holders’ first defeat of the season and flex their muscles ahead of a decisive showdown against Shakhtar Donetsk next week.
The German side will qualify for the last 16 with a draw against the Ukrainians in their final group match on November 2, and this victory means they are still in with of a chance of ousting Carlo Ancelotti’s side for top spot.
The record 14-time winners had already sealed passage to the next round but were outplayed at the Red Bull Arena by Marco Rose’s side and lost for the first time all season, in 17 games across all competitions.
Josko Gvardiol headed home from close range in the 13th minute and Christopher Nkunku blasted in a second five minutes later, with Vinicius Junior pulling one back before half-time.
Timo Werner struck what proved to be the winning goal from close range in the 81st minute, with Rodrygo pulling one back from the penalty spot for Madrid in stoppage time. It leaves Leipzig on nine points, one behind Group F leaders Madrid.
“We went out there sleepily, not intense or aggressive enough, and you pay for that,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told Movistar.
“The coach warned us and still, we went out there poorly. They can’t score two goals from corners. We made a lot of bad passes, had bad control, didn’t win a lot of duels, lacked intensity. We didn’t have a good game.
“A bad day can happen, there’s been a lot of games in a short space of time, but what you can’t lack is intensity. On the counter they are a very dangerous team.”
