Marcel Sabitzer scored twice as RB Leipzig didn’t give Tottenham Hotspur’s comeback bid a chance in a 3-0 win at RB Arena in Germany on Tuesday.
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Emil Forsberg added an 87th-minute goal to complete the scoring and leave the tie 4-0 on aggregate.
Leipzig advances to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal for the first time, while Spurs’ campaign to return to the final dies with a whimper.
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Three things we learned
1. Spurs go in 11 different directions: Okay, so this is a bit of an exaggeration, but the amount of times Spurs players went for glory over the smart play or chose the wrong run was almost overwhelming. Whether it be an extra touch for four with a dribble or a 25-yard shot with little hope of troubling the keeper, Spurs were both frustrated for space or tempted to think there was more of it. Almost every forward move with a modicum of promise featured these sorts of mistakes.
2. Clinical Leipzig put it to bed early: An early goal from Spurs would’ve put this tie on its ear, and Julian Nagelsmann men knew that. Leipzig came out of the gates with purpose and intensity, turning Spurs’ midfield and defense inside out. It didn’t help that Hugo Lloris was not at his best.
¡Gooooooooooooool del Leipzig!
— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) March 10, 2020
Sabitzer hace su doblete y parece que los Spurs se despiden de la competencia.
@DieRotenBullen 2(3)-(0)0 @SpursOfficial #ChampionsLeague | #Leipzig | #Tottenham
🔴 En vivo 👉 https://t.co/sYmBs6H9XG pic.twitter.com/XXpVv2uvau
3. Adams makes long-awaited Champions League debut: A season-long battle with injuries meant Tyler Adams’ 55th-minute entrance for Nordi Mukiele was his first-ever UCL appearance. Adams played a role in the third goal, and finished his shift with 32 touches and a tackle. He was 3-for-3 on duels and 2-for-2 on dribble attempts.
Tyler Adams subs on for his first UEFA Champions League appearance! 🇺🇸
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) March 10, 2020
The 21-year-old is the 10th American (and 4th-youngest behind Reyna, Pulisic, McKennie) to play in the UCL knockout stage.
Man of the Match: Well, it’s Sabitzer or bust, isn’t it?
Leipzig’s first goal was well-earned, as Spurs were all over the place by the time Sabitzer opened the scoring with a fine finish of a Timo Werner pass.
Werner thought he had it 2-0 off an Angelino assist, but the linesman’s flag was up. Sabitzer provided that goal from the same provider in the 21st.
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A goofy bounding ball forced Hugo Lloris to get horizontal and slap a ball free of the cage before halftime. Spurs finished the first half with a single shot on target.
There was a very scary injury to Nordi Mukiele in the the 54th minute after he was struck in the face by a loose ball. He was stretchered off the pitch.
Lucas Moura blazed around the left flank to cut back for Dele Alli in the 74th, but Peter Gulacsi was in the right spot to catch the ball.
Adams saw his shot blocked but Forsberg blasted in the rebound to finish the scoring in Germany.