Bundesliga

2020-02-19T21:50:00Z

Werner gives Leipzig first-leg advantage over Spurs

Timo Werner's penalty capped off an excellent performance for RB Leipzig as they claimed a 1-0 first-leg victory away at Tottenham Hotspur in their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie.
Timo Werner's penalty capped off an excellent performance for RB Leipzig as they claimed a 1-0 first-leg victory away at Tottenham Hotspur in their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie.

Timo Werner scored his 26th goal of the season to put RB Leipzig in pole position for a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with a 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16 first leg on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 RB Leipzig
Goals: 0-1 Werner (58' pen)

Leipzig flew out the traps from kick-off and went close to taking the lead three times inside the first two minutes as first Patrik Schick fired marginally wide, then Angelino hit the post and Werner was denied from close range by Hugo Lloris. The visitors were playing like the home side and Schick went close again after quarter of an hour, this time sending a header just wide from a corner. Werner was inches away from tapping home Angelino’s cross and drew another save from Lloris as Leipzig continued to turn the screw on the North Londoners.

Leipzig had 13 shots to Spurs’ three in a dominant first half and renewed their pursuit of crucial away goals in the second 45. But it was Peter Gulacsi who was forced into action first after the break, saving superbly from Lucas Moura to keep the scores level. That refocused the Leipzig effort and with just under an hour gone, Die Roten Bullen finally took a deserved lead. Konrad Laimer was brought down in the box by a clumsy Ben Davies foul, allowing Werner to stroke home from the penalty spot for his 26th goal of the season. Schick came close to making it 2-0 shortly after but Julian Nagelsmann’s side couldn’t add to the excellent advantage they take back to the Red Bull Arena for next month’s second leg.

Match stats

Line-ups

Tottenham: Lloris (c) - Aurier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Davies - Gedson (Lamela 64'), Winks, Lo Celso, Bergwijn - Lucas, Alli (Ndomble 64')
Unused subs: Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Dier, Skipp, Tanganga
Out: Kane (hamstring), Sissoko (knee), Son (broken arm)
Coach: Jose Mourinho 

Leipzig: Gulacsi -  Klostermann, Ampadu, Halstenberg – Mukiele, Sabitzer (c), Laimer (Forsberg 83'), Angelino - Nkunku (Haidara 74'), Werner – Schick (Poulsen 77')
Unused subs: Mvogo, Lookman, Wolf, Olmo
Out: Adams (calf), Kampl (ankle), Konate (hamstring), Orban (knee), Upamecano (suspended)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

As it happened!

FULL-TIME!

Leipzig will take a 1-0 lead into the second leg at the Red Bull Arena on 10 March thanks to Timo Werner's penalty, which capped off an excellent display by Julian Nagelsmann's men.

90' WALKING WOUNDED

Ampadu is down with cramp inside his own box and Mukiele is being patched up for a bleeding nose. It's all on the line here as we enter five minutes of additional time.

86' GULACSI AGAIN

Lo Celso has another free-kick, this time more central, but it needs Gulacsi to scramble across and tip around the post.

83' AND THE FINAL CHANGE

Konrad Laimer went down after a collision in midfield. He's replaced for the closing minutes by Emil Forsberg. Spurs are on the front foot now though.

77' SECOND CHANGE

Fresh legs up top as Yussuf Poulsen comes on for Patrik Schick.

74' HAIDARA ON

Amadou Haidara is the first Leipzig substitute as he replaces Nkunku.

73' HUGE FROM PETE!

Peter Gulacsi has just kept Leipzig ahead with an excellent save to deny Lo Celso's powerfully hit curling free-kick following that foul. The big Hungarian just got enough on it to divert the ball onto the post.

72' NKUNKU BOOKED

Cuneyt Cakir isn't shy to brandish a card and shows one to Nkunku for pulling back Lamela.

64' JOSE REACTS

A double change for Spurs as Dele Alli and Gedson Fernandes are replaced by Erik Lamela and Tanguy Ndombele.

62' SCHICK!

A lovely move from Leipzig as Angelino gets away down the left and squares. Werner dummies it with Schick arriving behind him, but the Czech striker puts his effort straight at Lloris! A big, big chance for the Bundesliga club.

61' SOLID GULACSI

Lo Celso has a crack from the edge of the box but the Leipzig keeper sees it all the way and smothers the shot down to his left.

58' WERNER CONVERTS!

Lloris guesses right down to his right but he's nowhere near Werner's powerful strike as he puts Leipzig ahead with his 26th(!) goal of 2019/20 in just his 32nd game.

56' PENALTY TO LEIPZIG!

Laimer steals in front of Ben Davies and is taken down by the Welsh full-back, who's also shown a yellow. Timo Werner to take...

52' NKUNKU OVER THE FREE-KICK

Schick is fouled by Aurier about 23 yards out and Christopher Nkunku is the man to take roughly in line with the left post, but he curls it well over the wall and crossbar.

48' STOP FROM GULACSI!

Aurier's low cross from deep on the right is flicked by Lucas and Gulacsi does very well to wait until the last second before diving to his right and clawing the ball away. Bergwijn then fires the rebound wide.

46' BACK UNDERWAY!

Both sides return with the same players, but will Mourinho have made any tactical changes to stem the Leipzig tide?

HALF-TIME!

The only thing missing from that Leipzig first-half performance was a goal. Nagelsmann's side have dominated last season's Champions League finalists and Hugo Lloris rightfully puffs out his cheeks as he walks off.

This is nothing new for Leipzig, though. They've scored 15 of their last 18 goals in all competitions in the second half.

39' ALLI MISSES IT

Dele Alli gets in front of his man in the box as he looks to get on the end of an excellent cross from Gedson Fernandes on the right, but the England international completely misjudges it and misses the ball.

38' MUKIELE DOWN

The wing-back has gone down on pain and requires treatment on his knee. The Frenchman has been impressive down the right so far.

36' WERNER!

The Germany forward is in acres of space left of centre and only has Lloris to beat, but he puts his shot straight at the Spurs keeper. A golden chance but already Leipzig's 11th attempt of the half. Nagelsmann lets out a wail of frustration on the touchline.

33' WERNER BOOKED

The Leipzig striker has his name taken for a foul on Winks.

31' SPURS BREAK

The game has settled somewhat but it's still Leipzig dominating the play. They do have to watch out for a Tottenham break, though. The hosts get forward from a Leipzig attack through Lo Celso on the left. He slips Lucas into the box but Laimer is across to quell any danger.

19' LEIPZIG PUSHING

The Bundesliga side have Spurs camped on the edge of their box and unable to clear their lines as Nkunku looks for a window to shoot. The hosts do eventually pump it long towards Lucas, who nips in ahead of Apmadu after letting it bounce, but Halstenberg comes across to tidy up.

17' SCHICK'S HEADER

The Leipzig centre-forward gets up at a corner but can only direct his header beyond the far post.

12' SABITZER BOOKED

Now the Leipzig skipper has his own name taken for a foul on Bergwijn.

10' LO CELSO BOOKED

Giovani Lo Celso hacks down Sabitzer, making his 50th European appearance, and the Spurs midfielder has his name taken by the Turkish referee.

8' SAVE FROM GULACSI!

Great stop from Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, diving to his left to deny Bergwijn's curling effort. Dele Alli then put the rebound wide.

2' ALL LEIPZIG!

How the Bundesliga side aren't a goal up already will remain a mystery. Spurs haven't got out their box yet but Hugo Lloris has already been forced to make a couple of saves from close range to deny Angelino and Werner, while Schick also had an effort blocked by some desperate defending.

1' SCHICK!

Less than 30 seconds on the clock and Leipzig have already fired off a warning shot as Schick smashes an effort just wide from the edge of the box.

KICK-OFF!

Leipzig get the action underway!

BUNDESLIGA BLUES

Spurs have already faced Bundesliga opposition in the Champions League this season, and were taken apart by Bayern, who are currently just a point ahead of Leipzig in the table.

Serge Gnabry became the first player in Champions League history to score four goals in the second half of a game as the German champions ran out 7-2 winners in North London.

Mourinho's side were then beaten 3-1 in Munich as they finished second in Group B behind a Bayern side that completed the best group stage in the competition's history. What will the Bundesliga's second-placed team produce in the UK tonight?

KNOCKOUT DEBUT

This is just Leipzig's second Champions League campaign, but they have already made it to the tournament's knockout stage by winning Group G. Die Roten Bullen beat Russian champions Zenit Saint Petersburg home and away, won away in Lisbon against Benfica and claimed a point away at Lyon to secure top spot and the right to host the second leg in the last 16.

TEAMS IN THE TUNNEL

Marcel Sabitzer is ready to lead Leipzig out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Kick-off is just moments away...

WERDER WARM-UP

Leipzig prepared for this maiden knockout clash with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Werder Bremen on Saturday. Lukas Klostermann, Patrik Schick and Nordi Mukiele had the game wrapped up inside 46 minutes, and you can enjoy the highlights from that for free below.

LUCAS UP TOP

Injuries to Harry Kane and former Hamburg and Leverkusen man Heung-min Son have left Jose Mourinho without a first-team striker. It's Lucas Moura who's set to lead the line tonight. The only other change from the 3-2 win over Aston Villa at the weekend sees Gedson Fernandes come into midfield. The January signing from Benfica missed both of his side's games against Leipzig in the group stage. RBL won 2-1 in Lisbon before a 2-2 draw at the Red Bull Arena.

AMPADU STARTS

Julian Nagelsmann hands just a second start of the season for youngster Ethan Ampadu as Leipzig play their first competitive match against a club from his homeland, England. He's in because Die Roten Bullen have no recognised first-team centre-back available due to Dayot Upamecano's suspension and injuries to Willi Orban and Ibrahima Konate.

The only other change from Saturday's 3-0 win over Bremen sees Christopher Nkunku replace Dani Olmo.

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