Champions League
Favorites Manchester City and Real Madrid have reached the last eight in the Champions League. City – which played without Belgians – again won smoothly against Copenhagen, Real had to tremble until the end against Loïs Openda’s Leipzig.
Leipzig started with a very difficult task in advance: overcoming a 0–1 deficit from the first leg at the Bernabéu. The Germans started fresh and had dominance at the beginning of the match. Strikers Loïs Openda and Benjamin Sesko, among others, had opportunities to open the score, but their sights were not focused. Afterwards the chances faded away from the match. Both the home team and the visitors hardly created any danger for a long time.
This only changed halfway through the second period, when Jude Bellingham offered the ball on a tray to Vinicius Junior, who finished well. Leipzig captain Willi Orban immediately tied the score, but Leipzig was unable to score the necessary second goal afterwards. Dani Olmo finally came very close with a ball on the crossbar, but the score remained 1–1.
REAL MADRID-LEIPZIG 1–1Doelpunten: 65′ Vinicius 1–0; 68′ Orban 1–1
Manchester City, on the other hand, booked its place in the quarter-finals without much difficulty after a 3-1 win in its return match against Copenhagen. The defending champion, for whom Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku did not play, quickly used up his bonus from the first leg. Manuel Akanji opened the score with a wonderful volley.
Minutes later the story was all over for Copenhagen. Goalkeeper Kamil Grabara completely ruined his team’s chances with an incomprehensible mistake on a shot by Julian Alvarez. Mohamed Elyounoussi poked back briefly, but Erling Haaland restored the double lead. The second period yielded no more goals.
MANCHESTER CITY-COPENHAGEN 3–1Goal Point: 5′ Akanji 1–0; 9′ Alvarez 2-0; 29′ Elyounoussi 2-1; 45+3′ Netherlands 3–1
