Spurs 0-1 RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig took a priceless one-goal lead from their Champions League tie against Spurs tonight, thanks to a second half penalty from Timo Werner.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann will be delighted by his team’s performance as they dominated for all but the last 15 minutes. Once dubbed the Mini-Mourinho, the 32-year-old tried to distance himself from such comparisons before the game.
But he outwitted the original Mourinho tonight!
With top scorers Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son injured long term, Jose Mourinho needs to call on his squad players and new recruits. But only when he brought Erik Lamela on late in the second half did his team look likely to score.
The Spurs vs Red Bull Leipzig betting odds marginally favoured the Bundesliga club making it to the quarter finals, and the odds will be shorter now.
Highlights of the game
Under Mourinho, the Spurs rearguard has a more settled look about it with Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld both in good form. Tonigh, it was Davinson Sanchez alongside Alderweireld at the heart of Spurs defence, and he had plenty of work to do as Red Bull started like a house on fire!
Patrik Schick, on loan from Roma, came close in the very first minute but his shot flew narrowly wide, and a minute later the visitors came even closer.
Sanchez put a brave block in to deny Timo Werner and Angelino’s follow up from a tight angle was deflected onto the post and away.
Harry Winks blocked another Werner effort, and then Sanchez cleared away a Schick header as the Red Bulls continued to dominate.
Hugo Lloris made a save from Angelino, and then an even better one from a fierce Werner drive when the Red Bull striker was clean through. Sanchez continued to play his part, intercepting a cross aimed for Schick to see Spurs through to half time with their goal intact.
Spurs had an early second half chance when Serge Aurier put Lucas Moura in with a superb ball. But as his shot headed towards goal, Peter Gulacsi got down well to save.
But on the hour, Red Bull got the away goal they deserved as Werner chipped the ball into the penalty area. And when Ben Davies clattered into Konrad Laimer, the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Werner stepped up and fired the ball past Lloris and into the corner of the net for his fourth goal of the competition.
Spurs tried to respond and Giovani Lo Celso fired a low shot at Gulacsi, but Leipzig were a constant threat at the other end and Lloris saved well when the lively Schick tried his luck.
Mourinho brought on Erik Lamela in place of the ineffective Dele Alli and Spurs did start to look more lively, and on 73 minutes they came so close when Gulacsi tipped a Lo Celso effort onto the post.
When Lucas Moura headed over on 89 minutes that was that, and now Spurs have an uphill task to turn this tie around in Leipzig.
Key statistics
We cautiously backed Spurs to take a lead to Leipzig in our pre-match SBOBET tips but they were totally outplayed in the opening 45 minutes as Red Bull rained 13 shots down on Lloris goal while the hosts only registered three.
Only a late flurry from Spurs evened things up as they ended up with 12 shots to Leipzig’s 16.
Nagelsmann is the youngest coach to take charge of a Champions League knockout match and his team is now unbeaten in the last five away games in the competiton.
In other Champions League 2020 news, Atalanta took control of their tie with a thumping 4-1 win over Valencia.
What’s next?
Spurs have a huge game in the Premier League on Saturday when they visit Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. They are just a single point behind the fourth placed Blues who will be furious after they lost at home to Manchester United on Monday night.
Frank Lampard’s side bossed the game, but had two goals controversially chalked off by VAR, while United goal-scorer Harry Maguire was lucky to avoid an early red card.
If Spurs can navigate that game they will be right in the hunt for a top four place, and then they host another team hopeful of European football when Wolves are their visitors a week later.
The Red Bulls have emerged as serious contenders for the Bundesliga title and they sit a single point behind leaders FC Bayern with two thirds of the season complete.
They have two tough tests coming though. First, Nagelsmann takes his team to Schalke, who are currently sixth in the league, before fifth placed Bayer Leverkusen visits Leipzig.
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