Wolfsburg vs. Real Madrid: Score, Reaction from 2016 Champions League, Leg 1
Wolfsburg shocked Real Madrid 2-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday evening to keep alive their dream of advancing with one of the most memorable victories in their history.
Ricardo Rodriguez and Maximilian Arnold provided a pair of early strikes for the German hosts to ensure they'll take a two-goal advantage to the Santiago Bernabeu for the return leg next Tuesday.
Real Madrid lost Karim Benzema to injury near the close of the first half, and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo barely managed to have an impact in front of goal as a resolute Wolfsburg defence stood the test of their opponents.
KICK hailed a memorable evening for European football as Manchester City sealed a 2-2 draw at Paris Saint-Germain in the evening's other fixture:
Los Merengues travelled to the Volkswagen Arena full of fervour after sealing a 2-1 El Clasico triumph over fierce rivals Barcelona on Saturday, but they were unable to carry the same energy into Wednesday's tie.
Manager Zinedine Zidane will have delighted in seeing his side take an upper hand in possession, but it was the hosts who mounted a lead after a poorly timed Casemiro tackle in the area gifted Wolfsburg a penalty after 18 minutes.
The trusty left boot of Rodriguez dispatched the spot kick, and any hopes of a Real Madrid turnaround were severely damaged when Arnold doubled the Wolves' lead just seven minutes later.
Star winger Julian Draxler showed brilliant tenacity racing infield from the left flank, cutting a pass to Bruno Henrique in space on the right before drawing his marker. That run gave Arnold the space in the middle to divert Henrique's cross past Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas, and WhoScored.com detailed this as a landmark finish for the midfielder:
Wolfsburg boss Dieter Hecking may have felt uneasy about the majority of possession Los Blancos assembled, but his side played the visitors at their own game and continued to thrive on the counter.
Even Crystal Palace attacker Yannick Bolasie couldn't help but laud the Bundesliga outfit for their efforts:
ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan rightly outlined Draxler as being among the home team's brightest sparks at the half-time whistle but noted just how bad Zidane's men were as they went in at the break trailing 2-0:
The travelling party did their utmost to mount a larger threat after the restart, but with striker Benzema worryingly lost to injury just prior to half-time, Los Merengues were lacking a focal point in attack.
But 2-0 was always going to be a frail lead for the Germans, and until a third goal arrived, Hecking & Co. won't have felt inclined to rest on their laurels.
And yet Wolfsburg looked comfortable, even nonchalant at times bringing the ball out of defence, repelling any and all forays a limp-looking Los Blancos attack could manage.
The Volkswagen Arena supporters were in fine voice entering the final phases of the collision, and the home team looked like good money to retain their clean sheet, with writer Liam Canning hailing their stingy back line:
The Wolves' efforts were perhaps best summed up when Real launched a break in the dying minutes only to see star scorer Arnold racing to get back in defence and head clear before a lurking Ronaldo could get a sight on goal.
Few might have envisioned Wolfsburg, eighth in the Bundesliga, seeing off the Spanish titans with quite as much ease as this, but the tie, of course, isn't over until they complete the job in Madrid.
Hecking's side travel to the Santiago Bernabeu hoping to keep Zidane's attack at bay once more, but clinching an away goal looks likely to be the most critical key in sealing a semi-final place.
Before then, the Wolves look forward to a home league clash against Mainz this Saturday, while Real play host to struggling Eibar, a fixture they hope can lift the spirits at the Bernabeu in the week to come.
Post-Match Reaction
Speaking to the media in his post-match press conference, Zidane lamented his side had perhaps paid for their intense win over Barcelona on Saturday, according to Corrigan.
Hecking held no such regrets, however, and told Norwegian pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft he would be toasting this win with a "big" glass of something celebratory:
He was quoted by the Champions League account, where he detailed the David-versus-Goliath nature of Wolfsburg's win, giving them every chance of advancing to the semi-finals:
Despite mounting a considerable lead on home turf, Hecking also admitted the task is far from complete and that his team "need" an away goal next Tuesday, per German outlet DW Sports:
Zidane went on to say Real's fixture against Eibar this Saturday is now the side's chief concern, but his mind will inevitably be plagued by Wednesday's result and Los Blancos' failure to make their mark in Germany.
Above all else, it was a lack of intensity that prevented his side from staying in touch, Zidane said, before noting he was among those not expecting such an embarrassing loss:
After being so soundly outdone in Wolfsburg, Real's quarter-final fortunes have become a fascinating game of tactics for Zidane, still so young in his career as a manager.
Hecking certainly took check following the first leg, but a tremendously demanding challenge sits between his side and checkmate.
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