It was always going to be a tall order for Tottenham Hotspur to try and fight back against RB Leipzig, especially without some of their biggest weapons to play with. In the end, though, not only were they beaten, but they were humbled at the hands of their German hosts as Leipzig ran out 3-0 winners on the night and 4-0 on aggregate to progress into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
While the future of this season’s competition may be uncertain as a direct result of the growing concern surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, fans were given the chance to forget about all of that and focus on the game.
German masterclass
Tottenham appeared to enjoy a few sustained moves forward in the first 5-10 minutes, to the point where it felt like they might be able to pull off another famous European comeback. However, Marcel Sabitzer soon put a dagger into the heart of those plans with an 11-minute brace that really did kill off the tie as a contest.
From the second half onwards, Spurs just couldn’t get anything moving and really struggled to get a foothold in the game. With three minutes remaining, Emil Forsberg made it three shortly after coming on, ensuring that Spurs now only have the top four race left to focus on this season.
Back to the drawing board
After the game, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho had the following to say about the loss.
“We all believed but we know that in this moment it’s very difficult. They are a very strong side.
“It’s hard for us to score at the moment. Our first couple of mistakes they score and then it’s very difficult. Their physicality is incredible, their defenders win the duels, they stop the game. They are very fast in attack. They can hurt us all of the time, they deserve to go through.
“We made mistakes, mistakes that we have analysed in previous matches.”
Spurs will turn their attention towards a huge game against Manchester United this weekend, whereas Leipzig will attempt to keep their slim Bundesliga title hopes alive when they take on Freiburg.
Match Report
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi (7.5), Halstenberg (7), Upamecano (8), Klostermann (7.5), Angelino (8), Sabitzer (8.5), Laimer (8), Mukiele (7.5), Werner (7.5), Schick (7.5), Nkunku (6.5), Adams (6.5), Forsberg (7.5), Haidara (7.5)
Tottenham: Lloris (4.5), Tanganga (5), Dier (5), Alderweireld (5.5), Aurier (5), Winks (6), Lo Celso (7), Sessegnon (5), Lamela (5), Moura (5.5), Alli (5), Fagan-Walcott (6), Fernandes (6)
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande
Goals: Sabitzer x2, Forsberg
Yellow Cards: Laimer, Sabitzer, Tanganga, Winks, Sessegnon, Alli
Red Cards: N/A
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