Late deflected winner sees Leipzig past Atletico as Julian Nagelsmann sets up reunion with Thomas Tuchel
Credit: Peter Fitzpatrick (ETPhotos)
RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann will be reunited with his former boss Thomas Tuchel as the German upstarts set up a Champions League semi-final meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.
The east German side edged out favourites Atletico Madrid in Lisbon on Thursday night thanks to a late deflected strike from American midfielder Tyler Adams.
Dani Olmo had given Leipzig the lead with a brilliantly-taken header early in the first half before substitute Joao Felix levelled things up from the spot.
The game looked set for extra time but, just like Wednesday’s dramatic finale between PSG and Atalanta, there was to be a late twist to the tale.
A relatively uneventful first half suggested little of the drama that was to come after the break, with neither side prepared to commit much to attack.
The game needed a goal and it duly arrived six minutes into the second half when Marcel Sabitzer found rare space on the right hand side and stood the ball up for Olmo to nod into the net.
All of a sudden, Leipzig had something to protect and Atletico were forced to find an alternative to the conservative gameplan that had seen off the holders Liverpool in the last round.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone had opted to keep Felix, the third most-expensive signing in football history, on the bench but, chasing a lead, the Argentinian made the switch.
It was Felix the creator and Felix the finisher on 71 minutes as he burst from deep and played a neat one-two with Diego Costa and bore down on goal.
Lukas Klostermann was forced to make a challenge and tripped the teenager, and the Portuguese would make no mistake from 12 yards.
It seemed, for all the world, that another 30 minutes would be required but, with two and a half minutes remaining, Adams lined up a shot from distance.
The shot wasn’t particularly well-struck but a deflection off the feet of José Giménez left Jan Oblak wrong-footed and ensured Nagelsmann a reunion with the man he first worked under at Augsburg.
