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RB Leipzig Edges Tottenham in UCL First Leg on Timo Werner's PK

RB Leipzig impressed in the club's first Champions League knockout match ever, going to London and walking away with a win.

Avi Creditor

RB Leipzig Edges Tottenham in UCL First Leg on Timo Werner's PK
RB Leipzig Edges Tottenham in UCL First Leg on Timo Werner's PK /

RB Leipzig got the best of a shorthanded Tottenham on Wednesday, winning the first leg of their Champions League last-16 showdown, 1-0, in London. 

Timo Werner's penalty kick was the difference, though RB Leipzig had considerably more chances and will take the slight edge back to Germany for the second leg next month after winning the club's first Champions League knockout match ever.

Leipzig came out firing, with a wayward defensive header giving Patrik Schick a clear look from the edge of the area in the opening minute, only for the forward to push it wide right. Some 30 seconds later, Leipzig hit the post, with Angelino roving forward and nailing the woodwork from a tight angle. 

The danger didn't end there, with Werner having a chance at the other post, only for Hugo Lloris to come up with the save.

Tottenham remained on its back foot but finally carved out a chance of its own in the eighth minute through January signing Steven Bergwijn, who cut to his right foot from a left-sided angle and forced Peter Gulacsi into a diving save to keep out the opener.

Schick came close again for Leipzig in the 17th minute, heading a corner kick wide right of the post.

Lloris was forced into another save on a golden chance from Werner, this time on the left side, after Konrad Laimer squeezed a ball into his unmarked path. Werner hesitated on shooting, though, and Lloris positioned himself to make the stop in the 36th minute.

Tottenham started the second half on the aggressive foot, much like Leipzig did in the first, with Serge Aurier's cross picking out Lucas Moura, who got the start due to injuries to Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. The Brazilian forward turned the chance on frame, but Gulacsi got down to make the save, and Bergwijn fired the rebound wide of a vacated net.

Leipzig went ahead in the 58th minute, with Werner finally beating Lloris and doing so from the penalty spot. It came after Ben Davies quite clearly took down Laimer after a wonderful Leipzig sequence, and Werner confidently put his penalty low and to the left to give Leipzig a 1-0 lead and a crucial away goal.

It could've easily become 2-0 a few minutes later, when Leipzig broke forward on a sequence that began with Gulacsi and brilliantly set up Schick for another great chance after a clinical dummy. Lloris made the save, though, again denying a clear Leipzig look.

Tottenham came close to equalizing in the 72nd minute through Giovani Lo Celso, whose curling free kick was pushed off the post.

Gulacsi was forced into another free-kick save in the 85th minute, when Erik Lamela put a dangerous, curling chance on frame from 30 yards out, but that was all Tottenham could muster in defeat.

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Here were the lineups for both sides:

The second leg will take place at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig on March 10.

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Avi Creditor
AVI CREDITOR

Avi Creditor is a senior editor and has covered soccer for more than a decade. He’s also a scrappy left back. 

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